


Vulcan Science Academy

by starsinger



Series: Diplomatic Jim [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Rough Sex, Vulcan Science Academy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:44:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 57
Words: 60,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1790974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsinger/pseuds/starsinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Plot bunnies abound. Just as an experiment, Vulcan decides to let human high school students take the entrance exam to the Vulcan Science Academy. One person passes it and they let him attend the Academy. This is extremely AU, as Jim will be on Vulcan when Nero attacks. Don’t own them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and drop a review.

_Surface of Vulcan_

“Jim! Are you sure about this?” T’Pau asked. As panicked as Jim has seen any Vulcan.

“T’Pau, this is what happened when the Kelvin was attacked. I don’t know what will happen, but is it logical to take any chances?” James Kirk, the only Human present asked.

The elderly Vulcan stared at him before heading into the ship along with her priestesses and students and instructors from the VSA. Jim looked around before boarding, almost certain that this would be the last time he would see the planet that had become home.

_Earth—Eight Years Earlier_

“Before you see an exam for another college. It’s not known whether or not anyone who passes this test will actually be offered a place in the Academy, but you are being given the opportunity,” Jim looked up at the professor giving them instructions. Jim was one of six in the area being given this opportunity. He was a senior at the local university while the other eighteen year olds were about to finish high school. “Good luck.”

Jim sighed as he looked down at his PADD. Who knew why they decided these things anymore? If it kept him away from his stepfather, Frank, he was all for it. The test started and he had no more time to think. It was a fast paced test that required extensive knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. He was sure about his answers on the Engineering, Math, and Science portions, but the Linguistics and Medicine portions left him shaking his head. By the time they were done Jim was ready for the break.

Jim stepped out of the building and headed back to the Campus. He had homework for his Physics Class. He had a message to return from Brenda, his current girlfriend. He completely forgot about the test he had just taken. He finished out the year, and graduated with two Bachelor’s Degrees: Physics and Engineering. He was planning on returning the next year to start his post-graduate studies when a knock came on his door. He opened it to find two Vulcans and a Starfleet officer standing outside, “May I help you?”

“Are you James Tiberius Kirk?” the Vulcan on the right, slightly taller than the other Vulcan, asked him.

“Yes,” Jim asked, understandably confused.

The Starfleet officer stepped in, “Sir, may we come in? These men would like to speak with you.”

Jim opened the door. The first thing that the other men noticed was that the apartment was almost obsessively neat and spare, few belongings occupied the space. Nothing appeared to be out of place. “What’s this all about?” Jim asked. “I’m not in trouble, am I?”

“No, Jim, you’re not,” the officer replied with a smile.

“Do I know you?” Jim asked.

“We met a long time ago. I was on the ship that rescued you from the Kelvin. My name is Christopher Pike,” he replied.

“Okay,” Jim said cautiously. He gestured to the kitchen table. “So, why are you here?”

“Two months ago you took an exam. It was the entrance exam to the Vulcan Science Academy. You were the only one with sufficient scores to enter the Academy,” the taller Vulcan replied.

Jim was suddenly intrigued. This opportunity would provide a real challenge, “Really? I would have to move to Vulcan.”

“Ambassador Sarek,” the first Vulcan replied, nodding to his companion, “his son recently left home. He has offered a place in his home to you if you choose to attend the Academy.” The Ambassador nodded in agreement, remaining silent, and sad. His eyes were very sad.

“My wife is human and would enjoy the company of another human,” Sarek replied.

Jim nodded, then smiled, “When do I need to be on Vulcan?” He heard the human officer chuckle.

“You should come in the next two weeks. It will take a few weeks to adjust to Vulcan as its atmosphere is thinner and warmer than Earth’s. We have the ability to help you acclimatize, but it would be best if you did so before the start of the Academic year.” Sarek turned to Pike, “Captain Pike will make arrangements for your transport to Vulcan. Live Long and Prosper.”

The Vulcans left Jim let out a long breath, “Did that really happen. I was going to have to pack up and go back ‘home’ in two weeks, now I won’t have to!” Chris smiled as the younger man kept talking about packing most of his belongings off to return to the family farm. They both knew this would be an adventure Jim would never forget.

_In Orbit Around Vulcan’s Far Moon_

“Yes, Lieutenant, we’ve crammed about 400 Vulcans onto this transport and are headed out of the system,” Jim told the communications officer, he thought her name was Uhura. “We’ll meet you outside the system. We need to get some of these people off, or we won’t make it to the next system. Thank you,” Jim finished.

Jim exited the cockpit and approached T’Pau, “T’Pau, I’m sorry. Vulcan is gone.” He heard many gasps rang through the room. “We’re meeting up with Commander Spock and the USS Enterprise outside the solar system. They’ll take some of the passengers to relieve some of the crowding here. I’ll go with them.”

“So will I,” T’Pau responded. “I want to see for myself that my grandson is still alive.”

Jim nodded as the speaker crackled to life, “The Enterprise is approaching. All departing passengers please report to the transporter room.

Jim was among the last of the 150 people to transport over. He immediately supported the frail T’Pau after the rematerialized. He looked at the transport officer, “Hey, is there somewhere we can rest?”

The other man stared at Jim for a full minute before calling the bridge, “Sir, we have the last of the refugees coming off that ship. Sir, one of them is human.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim starts his new life on Vulcan. Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

“Sir, we have the last of the refugees coming off that ship. Sir, one of them is human,” Spock heard over the intercom. Spock’s head jerked around as he turned to look at his father. Sarek’s eyebrows drew together before he turned and entered the turbolift. “Mr. Sulu, you have the conn,” Spock said rising and heading for the lift.

Spock pondered who the human might be on the trip down. He remembered his mother mentioning a young man who had come to attend the Vulcan Science Academy years before. Surely he had gone home after he finished. He paused as entered the transporter room. Aged T’Pau was being guided out of the room by her priestesses and several security guards. Indeed, a young male human was heading out with her talking to Sarek. “I grieve with thee, Sarek,” he replied to information Sarek had given him.

“Jim,” Sarek interrupted him to introduce him to Spock, “this is my son, Spock. You have heard Amanda speak of him.”

“Yes, she spoke of you with much pride,” Jim replied. “Jim Kirk,” Jim said to Spock, carefully keeping his hands to his side. Spock nodded. Jim simply nodded back at Sarek before exiting the room.

“Where is he going?” Spock asked.

“Sickbay, he feels his presence might help alleviate some of the anxiety some of our people are feeling. He single-handedly managed to get 400 hundred of our people off the planet before it was destroyed,” Sarek looked at his son. “He has served as my aide in the years since he came to Vulcan.” Spock nodded, the young man appeared to be quite capable.

_Eight Years Earlier, Earth_

Jim Kirk sat at the shuttle port seating area, waiting for the shuttle that would take him to the ship that would take him to Vulcan. Another of his tasks upon reaching Vulcan was to learn Vulcan, the language. He had already started the process by downloading a program to teach the basics of the alphabet and pronunciation. Siberuk, an instructor at Starfleet Academy, had recommended the program to him. “May I join you?” he heard someone ask. He looked up to find a young African only, few years older than he standing there.

“Sure,” Jim replied amiably patting the seat next to him. “Jim Kirk.”

“Geoffry M’Benga,” the other man replied, “headed for Vulcan, huh?”

“Yeah, I was accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy. What about you?”

“I’ve been accepted to the Vulcan Halls of Healing. I’ll be there for two years before returning to my residency in Kenya,” Geoff replied. “I’m considering about attending Starfleet Academy as well.”

“That’s a full plate. You and I must be firsts. There can’t be that many humans invited to the Vulcan Halls of Healing,” Jim responded.

“I’m the first human, just as you are. Will you be staying with Ambassador Sarek and his wife?” Geoff asked. “I will.”

“We’re both in this together,” Geoff said with a laugh. The waiting area had almost filled when the call came to start boarding the shuttle. They waited for their aisle numbers to be called before boarding. Someone had thoughtfully placed them next to each other. They were both nervous as both were travelling to Vulcan for the first time. The shuttle flight was quick as they docked with the SS Princess Diana. A liner travelling to various planets within the United Federation of Planets. Vulcan would take a week and the boys, sharing a cabin, planned on making the most of the trip.

Neither man was used to luxury, so their small cabin with bunk beds suited them just fine. They were impressed that the cabin had its own facilities. They wandered around the ship and noted the bars that they’d never be allowed to enter. It turned out that Geoff was only twenty. They immediately discovered the dining room with the buffet table. Jim was overwhelmed, Geoff was gratified.

They met a single Vulcan on her way home from Earth. Her name was T’Pring and she said she was on Earth visiting her betrothed at Starfleet Academy. She was curious as to why they were travelling to Vulcan, and pretty much left them alone after learning their purpose. She seemed very, aloof. They spent an hour in the pool at the onboard gym. They swam and laughed at the kids jumping into the pool. They knew the reputation of Vulcan. This was luxurious compared to the austere conditions they were likely to encounter on the planet.

Geoff wasn’t prepared for his roommate to be very spare in his eating. He ate slowly and only filled about half his plate. Everything he ate was nutritious and filling, but Geoff couldn’t help but note that Jim was slightly underweight. He did smile when Jim picked up a big piece of cherry pie with ice cream. “I suppose we should adjust to a vegetarian diet,” Jim said.

“Ambassador Sarek led me to believe that we would be able to obtain what we need to stay healthy. Of course he was talking more along the lines of fish and chicken,” Geoff replied. “His wife is human.”

“I didn’t know that,” Jim replied. “No wonder he volunteered to take us in.” They both turned in for the night, looking forward to the rest of the voyage.

_USS Enterprise_

Jim entered the Sickbay just behind T’Pau. What she really needed was rest. He helped her to a bed as he was approached by an older human man. “Dr. Leonard McCoy,” he mumbled, barely looking up from his PADD. “You are…human?” he suddenly stared at the blonde in front of him.

“Jim Kirk, Ambassador Sarek’s personal assistant. This is T’Pau, I think she’s fine, but do you have someone conversant with Vulcan Anatomy?” Jim asked.

“Will I do?” a voice asked from the other side of the bed.

“Geoff!” Jim cried walking briskly around the bed to give the man a hug. “So you did join Starfleet!”

“Just like I planned, although, this wasn’t entirely planned,” Geoff replied gesturing to the ship. “The debris around the planet was the secondary fleet.” Jim winced.

“Where are we headed?” T’Pau asked.

“As far as I know, the Laurentian System to meet up with the main fleet,” McCoy responded.

Jim shook his head, “No, we need to head to Earth. I have a bad feeling that’s that ship’s next target.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to slow this story down in the past aspect of it. Hope you’re enjoying it, I’m definitely enjoying all the reviews! Please drop me one!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff and Jim continue on to Vulcan. Don’t own them.

Jim woke up the next morning and realized that he had told Geoff a mistake. Sarek had told him about his wife. He must have had a royal “brain fart”. Or maybe his hair color was starting to show? Jim shrugged it off as he laughingly told Geoff. “You’re showing your blonde roots, my friend!” Geoff said with a laugh. Jim launched his tube of toothpaste at his head that missed and crashed into the wall.

Geoff was completely different from the doctor who would become his best friend years later. Geoff loved adventure and loved going into space. He had jumped at this chance to travel to Vulcan on a dare from his great-grandmother. Geoff had wanted something different, and his great-grandmother had heard about the venerated Vulcan Halls of Healing. Geoff sent off a letter of interest to T’Pau, not knowing that was who he it eventually went to. When an invitation arrived along with a ticket to Vulcan, Geoff hesitated. His father had died from a fatal fall in the nearby national park, and he wanted to provide for his family. His little brother stepped up to the plate and found a job as a park ranger. Geoff’s family had sent him off to the shuttleport in San Francisco with a lot of tears and many promises to write. Geoff had received his first e-mail from his mother before he’d even gotten on the shuttle.

Jim, after much thought, sent e-mails off to his mother and brother, letting them know he was leaving the planet. He didn’t get an e-mail from his mom, not that he expected one. She was probably off-planet. His brother, Sam, was studying Xenobiology. He promptly told Jim that he was jealous and wish he was coming too. If he got the chance, Sam told him that he’d sneak off and visit him on Vulcan. Jim smiled at the post-script from Aurelan, Sam’s girlfriend, “Not without me, he’s not!”

Jim and Geoff spent their first full day on the ship exploring. “Hey, what are you doing there? That’s the lady’s facilities!” was shouted at them from outside that part of the on-board gymnasium. The same shouter was admiring them at the pool an hour later. They spent a lot of time at the gym. They also found the ship’s library which held actual books, that day. What time they didn’t spend at the gym, they spent there. Geoff spent an odd amount of time trying to convince Jim to eat. He did, whatever was put in front of him. He was reticent about why this was a problem, almost as much as taking off his shirt. He always did that in the privacy of the bathroom or shower in the gym’s locker room. When they found the ship’s arboretum, Jim took a lot of pictures to send to Sam. He knew Sam would be jealous.

The ship’s crew looked after them. Neither was underage, but they were looked after, nonetheless. The crew, especially the women, were sad when they finally boarded the shuttle down to Vulcan. Jim and Geoff were excited. They, unfortunately, noticed the heat and the thin atmosphere immediately. Jim started gasping before he felt the familiar sting of a hypo against his neck. Whatever they had given him immediately relieved the effects of Vulcan’s climate. He watched as the middle aged human woman did the same for Geoff.

The woman stepped back and surveyed them, “Welcome to Vulcan, I am Amanda, Ambassador Sarek’s wife,” she said with a big smile.

“James Kirk, aka Jim,” Jim responded.

“Geoffrey M’Benga, call me Geoff,” Geoff offered.

Amanda was of medium height, and had dark hair and fair skin. She was Jim’s mother’s age, but kind and genuinely happy to see them. “Follow me, I’ll show you to the home you’ll share for your stay here on Vulcan,” she said striding off in front of them.

“How long do you suppose it took her to get used to this?” Jim asked mopping at his face.

“I don’t know, although, since I’m from Africa it should take me a shorter amount of time,” Geoff said with a grin.

Jim glared at him, “Not my fault I’m from Iowa!” Geoff started laughing as they pulled up to the residence. It was a low key affair, built of the same stone as the surrounding landscape, it blended into the countryside and the fence surrounding it was the only real indication that it was there. They grabbed their duffels and entered the home and the inside was as austere as the inside. There were definite human and female touches here and there. There weren’t any flowers, but there were the occasional flowering cactus, an obvious Terran plant on a desert planet. There was two paintings and a sculpture that Jim suspected Amanda had done herself.

“I will help you learn Vulcan. All Vulcans speak Federation Standard, but it would be best if you could communicate in Vulcan. Sarek is not here at the mid-day meal, and you should come back here then. That is when meat is consumed here, so you’ll get solid iron in your diet,” Amanda grinned as she led them to the bedrooms. She pointed to two doors, “These are your rooms. You can work out between you which one is which.” She pointed to another door, “Those are the facilities for you. Go in, settle down, take a nap. What I gave you was a triox compound, you’ll get these twice a day to help you adjust.” She shooed them into their rooms.

Jim stepped into one of the rooms. It was bigger than his room in the farmhouse in Iowa. It held a desk, a communications unit, a bed, and a computer. It also held a small unit that circulated cooler air onto the room which turned out to be hermetically sealed. Jim sighed as he kicked off his shoes, deposited his duffel on the desk, and lay down on the bed to take a nap. It had been a very eventful day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Geoff get things a little more practical for Vulcan than what they brought. They also learn a little more about Sarek and Amanda, and that abandoned room at the end of the corridor. Don’t own them.

Jim was sweating, profusely. The triox compound helped with the thinner atmosphere, the heat, not so much. Geoff’s clothing, while more suited to the climate, was still too heavy. Amanda noticed her guest’s uncomfortableness during dinner and smiled at them as she placed the meal on the table. The meal was a simple one consisting of various fruits, grains, vegetables and nuts to help provide the protein they needed.

“Sarek, I’m taking them into the market tomorrow to obtain clothing more appropriate to wear,” Amanda announced.

Sarek nodded, “It’s only logical. It will help acquaint them with their new home as well.”

Amanda nodded as she sat at the end of the table and began to eat. Geoff and Jim dug in as well. Sarek and Amanda did not keep a quiet table. They asked pertinent questions as to their training and backgrounds.

“I’d like to study diplomacy,” Jim announced. “I understand that there is a program for that study at the Academy.”

Sarek nodded, “A satisfactory goal, Jim, as you already have a background in Science and Engineering.”

“Do you have any children?” Geoff asked. “I understand genetic engineering on Vulcan is such that it has been accomplished.”

Amanda responded, “We have a son, Spock, he is attending Starfleet Academy.”

“Will he be coming home during the breaks?” Jim asked.

“No,” Sarek responded, “he is remaining on Earth.” The subject then shut down entirely. Amanda filled the suddenly uncomfortable silence with questions about Earth. It had been about ten years since she’d returned with Sarek, but she always craved for news from home. Jim and Geoff gladly filled her in with the latest things that occurred there.

“They’re building a new starship at the Riverside shipyards,” Jim said. “Well, it’s still in the planning stages. I imagine Admiral Archer is excited about it. It’s to be named the USS Enterprise.”

Amanda laughed, “I need to tell T’Pol. She should get a kick out of that. As much as a Vulcan can, anyway.”

The next morning they awoke early for breakfast and Jim had to admit that he was looking forward to the shopping trip. Maybe he could even get a hat. They left the house and Vulcan’s Red Giant Sun beat down on them again with its oppressive heat. Amanda made sure they’d received the compound before they left. “The amount you receive will be reduced with every dosage to help you slowly adjust to the environment,” Amanda had told them.

Jim nodded as they entered the market. It had many of the things that would be expected to be found at a market. Clothing, food in refrigerated units, jewelry, and even weapons were displayed. Vulcans were pacifists, but they were also pragmatists. Everyone was expected to be able to defend themselves. The clothing was made of a cotton like substance in muted colors that blended into the landscape, “It’s a holdover from the time before Surak,” Amanda told them. “Terrible wars were fought all across the planet. They even used nuclear bombs.” Jim winced as he considered Earth’s own history. Although Earth had had only one Nuclear war. Vulcans tend to be conservative anyway.

Jim watched as they approached one shop with robes of many muted colors. Jim and Geoff managed to find clothing they could wear out of the shop, and the shopkeeper promised to forward the rest based on their measurements. Their next stop was at a shoe shop where they got shoes that fit them and last for many years.

To Jim’s relief, their last stop was at a shop that sold hats and cloaks. They both bought two hats and a cloak. Jim and Geoff donned the hats when they exited the shop and stowed the rest in the car that had been left in a nearby parking lot. Jim smiled as he saw a reflection of himself in a reflection of a nearby window. The broad-brimmed hat, red robes, and black boots made him look more like he belonged, blonde hair, blue eyes, and round ears notwithstanding.

“Well, we won’t stand out as much,” Geoff said, pointing out a group of people who were obviously tourists. Amanda and Jim laughed as they reentered the car.

Jim was putting away his clothing when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door to find Amanda standing outside, “Hey, Jim, just seeing how you’re settling in.”

Jim looked around as he finished folding and hanging his clothes. “As well as can be expected, I guess,” he responded.

“You didn’t bring much with you,” Amanda said.

“I never had much, growing up. I was the baby born after the attack on the USS Kelvin, and my mother blamed me for my father’s death. After she remarried, her new husband didn’t like us, and resented the fact Winona left us with him and continued working for Starfleet. I eventually left home, and now I’m here,” Jim said. Amanda knew there had to be more to the story than that, but it explained a lot. She now knew where she’d heard the name Kirk. “What about Spock? What happened?”

“What do you mean?” Amanda asked.

“If he’s sharp enough to get into Starfleet Academy, he should be here at the Vulcan Science Academy. What happened?” Jim showed surprising insight in that moment. Instincts that would serve him well in the years to come.

“He went before the board and they accepted him, and then they insulted him. Told him he had a disadvantage having a human mother. He walked out and left for Earth the next day. This has caused a terrible rift with his father. They haven’t talked since he left two months ago,” Amanda admitted.

“But you have,” his blue eyes met her green eyes for a moment.

“Yes, no matter what he does with his life, I want him to know that he has a very proud mother,” Amanda whispered. Jim nodded. Not quite understanding the relationship between mother and son, but very envious that she could mean so much to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Geoff make pilgrimages. Don’t own them.

Ambassador Sarek’s home was located on the outskirts of the city of Shi’ Kahr, nominally the capital of Vulcan. It housed the council and the Academy anyway. Amanda said there was actually a sea and a lake closer to one of the poles with actual standing water. She also said there was snow on the top of Mt. Seleya. Both Geoff and Jim found that difficult to believe. That was until Amanda pointed that one of the volcanoes in Hawaii had snow as well.

So, Jim and Geoff decided to go off on several pilgrimages. Today, they were headed to Mount Seleya. This would also be the day that Geoff saw for the first time the Vulcan Halls of Healing. Tomorrow, if they felt up to it, they would venture to the Vulcan Science Academy. Soon after that they would go see one of the two bodies of water that still existed on Vulcan.

Amanda told them that people used to make the entire pilgrimage on foot and that would take days. These days, they only made you walk up the mountain from the base. So both young men donned their red-brown robes and capes and entered the car that would take them both to Mt. Seleya. The mountain was enormous. Said to be taller than Mount Everest on Earth, Jim and Geoff carried extra Triox compounds just in case it was needed. They also carried several bottles of water apiece. Amanda assured them that they would receive refills when they reached the top. She also called ahead and made sure that they would have rooms when they arrived. She didn’t think they’d return that night. Jim and Geoff, with all the confidence of youth, proclaimed they would be back before nightfall. Boy were they wrong.

They grinned at each other as they looked up the mountainside, full packs on their backs. Geoff swept his arm up the slope as they fully realized just how big Mt. Seleya was. They started up the easy western trail as a Vulcan, a Sehlat on a leash in front of him, exited the trail. Jim and Geoff both looked at the animal, “Did you see the size of the fangs on that thing?” Jim asked.

Geoff stared at it, “Amanda called it a Vulcan Teddy Bear.”

“Did that make you feel any better? We’re talking about bears!” Jim exclaimed. Geoff raised a finger and opened his mouth, nothing came out. Jim pulled out the phaser Amanda had pressed on them, “I think I now know why she made sure I had this, and it’s not because of the Vulcans.” Geoff nodded. They both took a deep breath, coughed because of the hot, dusty atmosphere, and started up the slope.

A third of the way up they encountered a wild Sehlat, it ran past them like it was being hunted. Halfway up and the sun had already hit its zenith, so they stopped and at lunch. Another quarter of the way up, they wondered if they’d make it to the top before the sun set. At the top they met the oldest Vulcan either had ever met, T’Pau. T’Pau was still a handsome woman who was very formal in front of her Priestesses, “I welcome thee to Mt. Seleya. I am T’Pau, Sarek’s mother. Come, you must be thirsty.” She turned and led them to the inner sanctuary of the Vulcan temple.

T’Pau took them to cushions surrounding a table where they all sat. She picked up a pitcher and filled three cups with the water in the pitcher and handed them their cups with her own hands. Jim smiled as he drank from the cup. Geoff did as well. “You are here to see the Halls of Healing,” she said as she set the cup down.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Geoff responded.

“You are the first Human to be invited to learn here,” T’Pau told him.

“I am honored, Ma’am,” Geoff responded.

“And you,” she said pointing at Jim, “are the first Human to attend the Academy.” Jim nodded, drinking the water noisily. “You are thirsty,” she responded. Soon, food was set before them. “T’Kir will show you to your rooms for the night.” The other woman’s black eyes raked over both men, seemingly disapprovingly. She politely waited for them to finish their meals before sweeping out of the room and leading them to their rooms.

“The gongs will sound for morning meal. You will be shown the Halls of Healing afterwards. Good night,” she nodded at them as they entered their rooms. It reminded Jim of a monk’s cell, austere was a good adjective for it. The room consisted of a pallet for a bed, a table and trunk for other essentials. Jim pulled off his clothes after depositing his pack on the table, and fell into bed, immediately falling asleep. Unfortunately, it seemed like he had just closed his eyes when a knock was heard at his door, waking him up for breakfast. Jim struggled out of bed and into his change of clothes before joining T’Pau for the morning meal.

T’Pau then introduced them to Siperu, Chief of the Halls of Healing. “On Vulcan, we take a different approach to healing. The Vulcan body and mind are remarkably well adapted to healing much of what afflicts our bodies. We also have facilities for operating and other procedures to help in the healing process. You will learn about Vulcan Healing Trances among other things. You have probably heard that not only is Vulcan blood green, the heart is where the liver is in a human. The climate and slightly higher gravity on Vulcan also means that they are stronger than humans. Our body temperature is higher than humans as well due to our metabolism, the downside to that is we don’t tolerate temperatures below freezing well. No one actually lives on the peaks of Mt. Seleya.”

Most of what Siperu told them went over their heads. He finally turned and handed a book to Geoff, “Here, this will get you started on what you will need to know…” they turned as a man came screaming into the healing. They had reached one of the operating theaters of the halls. Siperu reached out and touched the man’s forehead. “Where is his mate?” he demanded.

“She was just found dead in her home. She’s being brought in for an autopsy,” another healer informed him.

Siberu motioned to another healer before approaching the man again, pressing his fingers to the man’s forehead, “Do you want to live?” They watched as moments passed between them, Siperu turned back to the others. “Take him to a room and make him comfortable. He does not want to live.” The others nodded as they took him away. Siperu turned to the two humans, “Look up Pon Farr and Plak Tow in the text I gave you. You may see it as well, Kirk.” They both nodded their thanks and left. They thankfully realized that T’Pau had provided transportation once they got out of the temple that took them down to the bottom of the mountain. The day was fading when they returned to Sarek’s home.

“How was your trip?” Amanda asked.

“Educational,” Jim responded as Geoff started to laugh. It had definitely been that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’re rejoining Jim on the Enterprise, and then venture to the Vulcan Science Academy. Don’t own it, darn it…

_USS Enterprise_

Jim stood at the observation window watching space speed past at warp speed. He wore the only things he had left of his time on Vulcan: his red robes and cape, black boots, and the broad brimmed hat clutched in his hands. He didn’t even remember grabbing it before dashing for the transport.

Vulcan, he had spent eight years there. It had become home, and he had found a family that he really had never had there. He spent four years as a student at the Academy, another two years as an assistant researcher and sometime diplomat, and the last two years teaching, guiding the students on their individual paths to success. He had a good eye for those who were struggling and what might help them on their way. “I heard about Amanda, Jim,” Jim heard T’Nara’s voice behind him. “I grieve with thee.”

Jim turned to her, he’d met T’Nara on his initial visit to the Academy, and he was grateful she had made it off-planet. He reached up and touched her face, and she returned the gesture. They weren’t formally married, but they had a bond like no other. She’d never tried to make him something he wasn’t, and he’d appreciated it. “I miss it too,” she whispered.

“It’s good to see you again, T’Nara,” a voice sounded behind her. She turned to see Geoff, and she nodded to him. “I spent two years there, and I can’t believe it’s gone either.”

Another voice joined them, “I am curious, how is it you became so close to my parents.”

Jim turned toward the man, “Spock.” Jim’s face was impassive as he regarded the other man. “In some ways, I filled the void that was there because you left.”

“You’d look the part if you weren’t so obviously human,” Spock said softly.

“Spock, we need to go to Earth. That’s where this man…”

“Nero, his name is Nero,” Spock responded.

“That’s where Nero is headed. It’ll be a waste of time to rendezvous with the fleet. If we do, Earth will be destroyed by the time we get there,” Jim said.

“I don’t need to be lectured by someone who usurped my place in my parent’s household!” Spock spat out.

“I didn’t usurp your place! You abandoned them!” Jim exclaimed…

_Vulcan_

The Vulcan Science Academy sat on the outskirts of Shi’ Kahr on a relatively flat space of land. Jim and Geoff were extremely happy about this, even though the car dropped them off right in front of the entrance. At least they didn’t have a long trek up a mountainside this time around. At the entrance was the most unusual Vulcan Jim would ever meet. She had red hair and green eyes, Vulcan’s had the full color spectrum of hair and eye color that humans had, but, like humans, the darker colors were dominant. The striking color caught Jim and Geoff’s eyes immediately. “Welcome,” she said approaching them, “I am T’Nara, I will be your guide today.”

They nodded at her as she turned back up the steps to the building. Edifice was a good adjective for this imposing place. The first thing Jim noticed was that Vulcans did not hurry. They picked up their pace when it was obvious they were late for class, but they did NOT hurry. “What area of study are you considering?” T’Nara asked.

“Diplomacy,” Jim replied, “I already have degrees in Physics and Engineering, I’d like to try something different. I understand that the study of Diplomacy here is unsurpassed.”

T’Nara nodded, “Yes, I’ll take you to that part of the campus. “You have started your language courses?”

Jim and Geoff nodded, “I know several languages, but I never learned Vulcan, which is weird considering I know all three dialects of Romulan, but, go figure.”

“There are three dialects of Romulan?” T’Nara asked.

“Yes, Romulan, Reman, and Rihannsu. Romulan and Reman are specific to each planet, and Rihannsu belongs to the slave population that occupied Romulus when they Romulans decided to take up residence there. All three make up the same language, it differs from Vulcan in the Rihannsu incorporation into the main language,” Jim responded. “At least that’s what I’ve noticed since starting in on the Vulcan language. It’s closer, oddly enough, to the original, pre-Surak language than Vulcan is.”

Geoff and T’Nara both stared at Jim, “How have you managed such a comparison?” T’Nara finally asked.

“I have an eidetic memory, perfect recall,” Jim said with a shrug.

“You should make an interesting addition to the student body, then,” a voice sounded. A tall Vulcan man emerged from side hallway. “I am Tirion, Director of the Department of Diplomacy. Welcome, Mr. Kirk. If you step into my study, we can discuss a possible course of study.”

The discussion took two hours. Even Geoff was entranced at the course of study Jim would end up taking. Five Alien Cultures of the Federation courses alone took up most of the first term of study. Fortunately, the books required were easily transferred to Jim’s PADD. T’Nara couldn’t help herself, she showed the two young humans around the rest of the campus to see other classes Jim would visit as his years would go on.

Geoff waited by the car as Jim turned his charming smile on the young Vulcan, “T’Nara, I know we just met, but would you like to go out sometime?”

_Delta Vega_

Jim slowly awoke and stared up and around him. He was in an escape pod looking at six feet of solid ice. Someone had thoughtfully dressed him in warmer clothes: black long-sleeved shirt, matching pants and boots, and a good, solid coat. Jim groaned, his mountain climbing on Vulcan and Earth was about to come in handy.

Jim struggled out of the tunnel and looked at the harsh, white landscape around him. Jim suddenly understood why Sarek and his son had had a falling out, damn Vulcan was stubborn. Kicked him off the Enterprise when Jim suggested that he was a fool chasing after the main fleet. Never mind, the computer promised him that there was a nearby Starfleet outpost and that was where he was headed. He just hoped he would see T’Nara again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Geoff’s plans to go to the Voroth Sea when Jim contracts a flu-like illness. Turns out, he’s contracted a deadly illness that, up to this point, only Vulcans have gotten, and most of those who do, die. But, this is Jim Kirk, and he’s not Vulcan, therefore, he can’t do anything normally. Don’t own them.

Geoff knocked on Jim’s door. Jim didn’t appear for breakfast, and Geoff was worried. He opened the door when Jim did not answer and found Jim curled up on his side holding a basin under his mouth. “Geoff, turn off that light, please!”

Geoff rushed over and immediately pressed the back of his hand to Jim’s forehead, Jim was burning up. “You received all your shots before we left, right?” Geoff asked.

“Everything Starfleet and the Federation thought I might catch here,” Jim groaned.

Geoff hurried out of the room, “Amanda, call the healers, Jim is sick, and I don’t have the facilities here to figure out what it is,” Geoff told the older woman.

In an hour T’Pau and Siperu were among six Vulcans who arrived. They had to rely on Geoff to draw everything they needed to make a diagnosis. Jim said it felt like the flu, he’d had that many times, and wasn’t particularly worried about it. Next thing they both knew, the Vulcans reentered the room in full isolation gear and drew blood from everyone, including Sarek. They put the house under full isolation, they apparently did not want anyone to catch whatever it was Jim had.

Finally, T’Pau took Geoff aside, “Jim has picked up a virus we call tol’kath. It is virulent disease that has a death rate of about 95% among Vulcans.”

“What about humans?” Geoff asked.

“We do not know. This is the first time it has jumped species,” T’Pau’s eyebrows drew together, worried. “He does not exhibit the symptoms that is typical for the disease. That might be because he is human. You and Amanda show no signs of the virus in your system. You have been here for a week?” Geoff nodded. “We will keep you here for a week, just to be sure.”

“What about Sarek?” Geoff asked.

“He’s being quarantined as well,” T’Pau responded.

“Have you not developed a vaccine for this?” Geoff asked.

T’Pau sighed, “Vulcan immune system does not respond the way a human’s does. This virus makes it impossible to make a vaccine for it.”

“Jim survives, do you think you’ll be able to develop one?” Geoff asked. T’Pau looked at him thoughtfully. “Jim’s misfortune could save lives.” Geoff pulled up Jim’s bloodwork, “His body is tackling it like it’s another virus. We keep pumping him with fluids, keep his temperature within tolerances, and so far we’ve managed that with aspirin, maybe we can help Vulcans in a way we hadn’t considered before.”

T’Pau nodded as Siperu talked with Geoff. The six Vulcans who had come first were also stuck at Sarek’s house as they thought it was just a human illness. Geoff dealt with the isolation clad Vulcans for two days, they realized Vulcans could not contract the illness through casual contact, so they stepped down from the containment suit to protective gear. Jim coughed, sneezed, and vomited his way through the next five days of his illness. Geoff moved into Jim’s room so the others could have some privacy. He and Amanda, who turned out to be a former nurse, among other things, helped him out.

“I feel like crap,” Jim mumbled. “Are you sure this isn’t just the flu? It sure feels like it,” it was day three and Jim hadn’t been able to keep anything down. Geoff had inserted an IV to keep Jim hydrated. So far, Geoff had not contracted the virus, and his bloodwork remained clean. Amanda as well remained healthy, unfortunately, one of the healers did contract it, and it showed when Siperu discovered her convulsing on the floor. The fear was palpable, even among the unflappable Vulcans.

“Come on, Jim, you’ll be all right, too many people are counting on you to pull through,” Geoff said, trying to soothe the other man by rubbing his back.

“How is T’Run?” Jim asked.

“Not good, Jim,” Geoff whispered. “We can’t get her temperature down.” Jim nodded before grabbing the basin again and filling it again with the contents of his stomach. Jim knew how important it was to eat, and was doing his best.

Two days later Jim’s fever broke. Geoff took blood as soon as he could, “This is important, Jim.”

“I know, Geoff, did you get orange juice?” Jim asked.

“Fresh from the groves in Florida,” Amanda said with a smile. Two more Vulcans came down with the symptoms just this morning.

“Hurry, Geoff, let’s not lose anyone to this thing,” Jim said. Jim turned to Amanda, “Why did it feel like the flu? Why didn’t it affect me the way it did the others?”

“We’re sending some of your blood work to Earth. Maybe the scientists there can figure that out,” Amanda responded. “We’re fortunate Sarek and T’Pau didn’t get it.” Amanda sighed, “You’re a hero, Jim.”

Jim looked at her, “For getting sick?”

“For living, Jim, for living,” Amanda left to allow Jim to rest. Geoff and Siperu worked on a vaccine well into the night, configuring it for Vulcan anatomy, and hoping that it would work. They injected all the Vulcans with it, and using the unaltered version for both Geoff and Amanda. Unfortunately, in spite of everything they did, T’Run did not survive.

“They managed to extract her Katra, whatever that means,” Geoff told Jim.

“We didn’t make it to the Voroth Sea,” Jim said. “I’m sorry.”

Geoff laughed, “It’s okay, Jim, I ended up being on the frontline in keeping Vulcans healthy. That’s what I came here to do!” Geoff got a faraway look in his eyes. “When I was seven, Ebola Zaire swept through the village my family was living in. To this day, no one knows where it comes from or how to cure it. Of an extended family of thirty, aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, and five siblings, my parents an older sister, and I were the only ones to escape alive. It’s what motivated me to become a doctor. I can’t cure Ebola, but I can help here.” Jim nodded, Geoff was a good man.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim recovers. Don’t own them.

Jim sighed as he rolled over in bed. It had been two days since his fever broke, and everyone, except Geoff, insisted that he stay in bed. Geoff had declared him fully recovered already, but the Vulcans were taking an overly cautious approach. So, he was stuck in bed. He had spent a considerable amount of time reading the materials the VSA had given him and had read the first book for the first course.

Geoff walked in on the third day, “I went to the ceremony for T’Run, today. They took her body into the Forge and left it there. It turns out that they believe after the Katra leaves the body, the body is just a shell and that shell is left to the elements.”

“That’s logical,” Jim said. “But what’s up with this ‘Katra’ business?”

Geoff shrugged, “They’re even more closed-mouthed than they were about Pon Farr.”

Both men looked up as they heard the door to Jim’s room close. Amanda stood there, “This is not to go any further than this room.” Jim and Geoff looked at each other and nodded in agreement, “The Katra is the essence of a Vulcan, the ‘soul’ if you will. They believe that the Katra can be extracted before death and deposited into the Halls of Thought on Mt. Seleya. The dying person mind melds, which you both will be learning about later, with another Vulcan and transfers their Katra to them. Later, they transfer the Katra to vessels. I’m not entirely sure what happens with the vessels, but the living apparently can communicate with the dead.”

“That’s rather spooky,” Jim said. “What if they die before the Katra can be transferred?”

“The Katra, and everything that Vulcan was, is lost,” Amanda responded. Jim and Geoff stared at each other, pondering the imponderable.

Two days later Jim was cleared to return to normal activities. He and Geoff set out for the Voroth Sea. They didn’t know what to expect as it was the only body of water of significant on the planet, and they were promised a tour of sorts.

First off, they noticed the sea was purple. That didn’t particularly bother them, the sky was red, so what if the water was purple? An Andorian greeted them on the boat docks. The blue skinned man gave them a big grin as he ushered them aboard. “Welcome, my name is Fred,” Jim and Geoff stared at him. “My name is hard to pronounce, so I go by Fred.” Jim chuckled while Geoff turned away grinning. “Let’s get started.”

The Voroth Sea was about as big as the Dead Sea on Earth, only livelier. They could see bioluminescence beneath the water, conveying how dark it was beneath the sea. “There are no waves, and there are no tides,” Fred told them. “If you hadn’t noticed, Vulcan has no moons,” Fred said with a wink. “Geologically speaking, Vulcan is somewhat active, no one lives on active Volcanoes, but there are Earthquakes. There was even a Tsunami here about twenty years ago. An earthquake caused a rockslide on the other side of the sea. Fortunately, no one was home when the waves hit. I was on the water, and ended up being the one who called it in. Some Vulcans were very put out, well, as put out as any Vulcan will show, anyway. Anybody claustrophobic?” The two humans shook their heads, “No? Good.” Fred hit a button that caused a shell to come overhead, encapsulating the boat. He, then, slid the boat smoothly under the water. There, they saw the Vulcan equivalent of fish, and much larger animals. “Vulcans found that an Earth species, called turtles, could be introduced without disrupting the ecosphere of the oceans. They were right, the turtles have replaced a species that was wiped out during the Time of Troubles, and kept a stable population in the sea itself. Fascinating how that works,” Jim and Geoff laughed as a large specimen of the aforementioned Terran species stopped its swimming to blink at them.

There were other large species that looked like whales and dolphins, kind of. They weren’t mammals, and they lit up the darker parts of the sea. There were also a large variety of underwater plants that looked like kelp, and the occasional animal that looked like a sea serpent. They finally slid out of the water, and Fred caused the shell to open back up. “It’s funny,” Fred said. “I never appreciated sailing until I came here. A human, Amanda, told me about it, and I tried it.” Jim and Geoff watched as masts went up and sails came out. Fred turned off the motor as wind filled the sails and they leaped away, back towards the far shore.

Jim and Geoff disembarked and thanked Fred, it was well worth the trip. As they turned away Fred called, “Look, a Sky Eagle, a very good sign.” Geoff and Jim looked up, shading their eyes, to see an enormous bird hovering overhead. It fell toward the lake, and with a victorious cry, scooped up a large fish in its talons before flapping away.

Amanda smiled as they returned home, “Have a good time?”

“We saw a Sky Eagle fishing at the end of our trip,” Geoff said with a grin.

“Oh, that is a good omen. Well, as good as any that a non-superstitious Vulcan would see,” Amanda looked worried.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jim asked.

“Oh, it’s Sarek. He really needs an assistant. He can hardly keep track of everything he needs to do during the day, and now, he scheduled three different things for the same time,” Amanda looked distressed.

“Well, let’s see what WE can do,” Jim said confidently.

Jim looked at Sarek’s schedule, finding similar problems in the next two weeks. He called people and made arrangements for other times, cancelled where it couldn’t be done conveniently, and smoothed out a lot of issues that the overlaps caused.

Jim had just finished when he heard Sarek’s voice, “If you want a job as my aide, you’re hired.” Jim looked startled at the Vulcan who had entered quietly behind them. Jim nodded, “Good, let’s go discuss your salary.” Geoff and Amanda looked at each other and laughed, this was a most interesting day.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim goes to a few meetings with Sarek as his aide. He sticks out like a sore thumb, an efficient aide that makes all his peers look like amateurs. Don’t own them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you hoping this would be a slash, there are no plans for that right now. Jim is straight here. I am currently working on another story for a challenge that will be McKirk, and it will be full of slashy goodness. I promise.

_USS Enterprise_

Geoff seemed distracted, McCoy noticed. He dealt with the Vulcan patients, but his mind was elsewhere. “Geoff, where are you?” McCoy asked softly.

“Vulcan, Delta Vega, I spent two years on Vulcan and got to know Jim,” Geoff responded. “What Spock did was uncalled for,” Geoff responded. “Jim took over as Sarek’s aide, but was not Sarek and Amanda’s son.”

McCoy nodded, “He’s a good guy.”

“The best,” Geoff responded. Geoff turned as Sarek entered Sickbay. Sarek motioned Geoff to join him. McCoy shook his head as both spoke in Vulcan. What was it about Jim Kirk that inspired such loyalty?

_Vulcan_

Jim looked, for all the world, like he was off in his own little world. He wore earplugs and nodded his head as if he was listening to music. The PADD was laid in front of him on the table flashing different pictures of Vulcan and home. This was all being done at the meeting for the Vulcan High Council. Thirty other aides sat around the room intently watching and paying attention to what was going on. Jim idly let his fingers play over the PADD in front of him.

More than one councilor and aide raised their eyebrows at Jim’s nonchalant attitude surprised more than one person. As the meeting progressed Jim played video games causing more eyebrows to be raised. At the end Jim joined Sarek with a nod. The other councilors were concerned pointing out that Jim didn’t seem to be doing his job. Sarek simply thanked them for their concerns.

On their way back home Jim uploaded a transcript of the entire meeting to Sarek’s PADD in both Federation Standard and Vulcan. “You make this look easy while appearing to do nothing,” Sarek said.

“I’m good at that,” Jim replied. “For your trip to Earth next week I’ve made appointments with the Atlanta Zoo for talks about the Sky Eagle program. Biologists here and on Earth believe that this environment might be most conducive to helping grow the population of that endangered species. You’ll be meeting with President Shi Long to discuss those issues that the council brought up today.”

Sarek’s eyes traveled over the transcript, “You have an actual voice recording of the meeting?”

Jim reached over and tapped a few buttons on the PADD. It brought up the vocal parts of the meeting, “It includes comments from some of the aides around me.”

Sarek nodded in satisfaction, “Most satisfactory.”

They arrived at home. Jim was still adjusting to the climate, and would start at the Academy while Sarek was away on Earth and would not be able to join him. Geoff had started at the Healing Halls already, and wasn’t home when they returned. Amanda set out lunch for them as they sat down. The next day, Jim joined Geoff in starting back to school. His first two classes were introduction to Andorian and Orion. Andorian was tough, it involved a lot of clicking and noises in the back of the throat that Jim was having difficulty managing. He persevered through the first day and managed “Hello” and “Where are the facilities?” in both languages.

His two other classes were Introduction to Diplomacy and Interspecies Alliances. These were pretty straight forward. One of the main focuses of the Alliances course was the strange and strained alliance between the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire. Jim spent dinner trying to figure out what caused these two to ally.

Amanda addressed him, “Jim, a thousand years before Vulcans and Humans met, two hundred years after the Sundering, Vulcan and Andor met, and forged an alliance of their own.” Jim nodded, “They polar opposites as far as species go. Andorians are warriors and very emotionally driven. Vulcans, well, they’re not. Yet, they managed to find common ground. Now, Romulans and Klingons aren’t that diametrically opposite, and their alliance is much newer, but they have managed this alliance for the past twenty years. Maybe there is not real reason for the alliance, but it has caused peace between them and the Federation since they came to an agreement.”

“Good things come from odd relationships,” Jim replied. Amanda nodded.

_Delta Vega_

Jim looked up, flat on his back. Moments earlier he was sure he was going to die, now, he was being defended by a Vulcan, even older than T’Pau, with a torch. The monster scurried away. Jim gaped as the Vulcan turned around. It couldn’t be…

“Jim!” the Vulcan exclaimed.

Jim found his voice, “Excuse me?”

“You are James T. Kirk.”

“Do I know you?”

“I have been, and always shall be, your friend.”

Jim shook his head. He tried again, “Who are you?”

“I am Spock,” the older Vulcan responded.

“Oh, bullshit, Spock is not my friend, which you should know. He blames me for taking over his position in his family!”

Spock blinked at him, “How would you do that?” Jim found himself explaining the past few years to this man. Spock looked completely confused, “You are not Captain of the Enterprise.”

“How can I be Captain if I’m not even a member of Starfleet?” Jim muttered.

Spock murmured an understatement, “This could be a problem.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reference to the “dolphin” species comes from a recently read book called “Dark Mirror” by Diane Duane. It has a dolphin, and is the Next Gen crew forced into the Mirror Universe. Troi is extremely creepy and very evil in this story. I know, that sounds just weird, and maybe a little wrong, but there it is. Jim, along with some of his classmates try to figure out languages that their mouths will never be able to form the words to, and some words that their ears will never hear. Universal Translators come in handy. That’s right, Orcas aren’t actually whales, they’re the largest species of dolphin on the planet. Go look it up if you don’t believe me. Don't own them.

Jim sighed as he rubbed his hands against his face, he’d thought that this course would be limited to languages he’d actually be able to hear, much less pronounce, but no, here he was trying to work through the language of the natives of Triton II.

Triton II was a water world whose sentient inhabitants were relatives of the dolphin and porpoise species, specifically the Orcas and the Bottlenose Dolphins and Harbor Porpoises. Highly intelligent, they were excited by first contact with Humans, and somewhat bummed to learn that Earth had, at one time, mammals like themselves. Unfortunately, they had been hunted to extinction by the mid-21st century. This did not keep them from enthusiastically joining in in everything the Federation and Starfleet had to offer. Well, the Orcas would have, but Starfleet didn’t have ships big enough to hold them other than the cargo bay, and that was too limited.

The Delphines, as they came to be known collectively, managed a “suit” to help them live on ships, while Starfleet built quarters specifically for them when they became crew. Their “suit” was basically a big, transparent aluminum bubble, mostly filled with water, that they could control with their fins and tail. They managed a way for it to be porous enough to allow oxygen inside, but not any water out. It was apparently a sight to see a Delphine “swimming” down corridors on their way to their quarters. These species ability to navigate, even in the depths of space where no magnetic fields were present, made them invaluable to potential deep space exploration vessels.

The problem stemmed from the fact that part of their language went into the ultra-high frequency sound waves that went beyond what most humanoids could hear, much less replicate and if they weren’t paying attention to the Universal Translator, they would start talking over the Delphine, the marine mammals quickly learned not to take offense. The students weren’t expected to actually speak or completely understand the language, but they were expected to be familiar with it, and able to respond to basic requests, like “where’s the bathroom”. Jim found that humorous, if the author of that particular chapter was Vulcan, he or she had a definite sense of humor.

T’Nara and the other Vulcans sitting at the table mirrored his thoughts if not his actions. They were currently listening to Delphine “opera” which was quite beautiful. They had half expected it to be composed entirely of clicks and squeaks, but the songs were quite intricate and required a lot of attention. Siporat hit the off switch on the recorder. They were only required to listen to only about five minutes of the opera, but they couldn’t help it, they listened to the whole first act.

“I thought Andorian was difficult,” Jim muttered. “At least I can hear everything they say in that language.”

“I agree,” T’Nara replied. “It is worth listening to, however.”

“I do not think he disagrees with that, T’Nara,” Sirek, another Vulcan youngster commented. “I think we need a break.” The agreement was silent as they nodded to each other and rose from the chairs around the table. They were in the Vulcan equivalent of a library at the Academy and they wandered around and stretched talking to each other.

“What do you think of the Andorian History?” T’Nara asked.

The history of Vulcan and Andor was long and complicated. Two hundred years after the Sundering, an Andorian vessel crash landed on Vulcan leaving only one survivor of the blue skinned species. In spite of serious injuries, and not quite knowing his anatomy, the Vulcans attempted to heal him. They had achieved warp speed a hundred years after the Sundering and, quite logically, didn’t go looking for more Andorians to help the survivor. They did, however, put out a satellite around the sixth planet with a beacon broadcasting pictures of the ship crashing on the surface of their planet.

Two years later, more Andorians showed up. The survived was still alive and had managed to communicate with his hosts. He had been surprised how he had been treated, he had been expecting to be tortured and questioned. It was the treatment of this man that formed and cemented the alliance between the two species. They didn’t always agree, but they always had each other’s backs. That was a simplistic view of the past two thousand years, but it was what had basically happened.

“My parents would like to meet you,” a voice sounded behind him. Jim smiled as he turned to look at T’Nara.

“Why?” he asked.

“They are curious about you,” T’Nara responded.

“Curious, huh?” Jim murmured. “I would be honored to have dinner with your family. When?”

“Tomorrow,” T’Nara replied as they converged back on the table. Jim turned on the projector as they looked through the highlights on the sentient species of several planetary members of the Federation. This was going to be a long night!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m making up a bunch of history for Vulcan loosely based on cannon and fannon. Don’t own any of it.

Jim donned his russet robes for his dinner with T’Nara and her parents. Amanda handed him a bottle of sparkling water from Earth as a gift. “You show up with water at their door, you’re their friend for life,” Amanda told him with a small laugh. Jim smiled back and walked down the street toward the house T’Nara had given him directions to.

It was similar to all the other houses in the area. It was a simple, one story structure whose exterior matched the surrounding landscape. An old fashioned wrought iron fence surrounded it with a gate that used to have a heavy lock. It simply swung open with a slight creak at his touch. Not only that, but the fourth stone squeaked when he stepped on it. It seemed out of place in a culture that preferred the quiet moments of life. Jim rang the doorbell and was greeted by T’Nara who nodded at him before inviting him in.

T’Sara, T’Nara’s mother, greeted him quietly. She, like other Vulcan’s, was tall and black haired with a slim build, but she had green eyes like her daughter. Her father, Seruk, was slightly shorter than his wife, and had the red hair that he bequeathed to his daughter. Jim simply bowed, “I can see where T’Nara gets her hair and eyes.” Both Vulcan’s nodded as they moved into the sitting room. Dinner wasn’t quite done yet, and T’Sara accepted the bottle of sparkling water graciously.

It turned out that Jim had seen Seruk before, Seruk was a history instructor at the Academy and they had passed each other on occasion in the halls. T’Sara worked in the Astrophysics lab on Gol as researcher.

“I understand you have a physics degree from Earth,” T’Sara said, starting off the conversation.

“Yes,” Jim replied, “my master’s thesis, that I’m still working on, involves string theory. Although, after our study of Triton II, I’m considering looking into hyperstring theories also.”

“Those would be difficult to study as they are most easily detected where there are vast distances between stars,” T’Sara replied.

“Yeah, I think I’ll stick with Quantum Strings for now,” Jim said. “What about your research?”

“Mine is along the lines of a hypothesis put forth by Albert Einstein. It’s the theory that black holes could lead to other universes very similar to, but not our own. This is based on what happened to the USS Kelvin eighteen years ago. The ship that came out was so far advanced in technology, yet, it was clearly Romulan based on reports on the surviving bridge crew from the Kelvin.”

Jim’s face went still as T’Sara’s words clicked in his brain, “T’Sara, exactly what kind of Romulan vessel do you think it was?”

“From pictures I’ve seen, which are limited, and descriptions I’ve heard from the occasional passing Klingon scientist, I’d say it was a mining vessel. I’m not an expert in this field, but that’s what seems logical. You had parents on the Kelvin?”

“My father was George Kirk, the one who saved most of the people, including myself and my mother as I was born on the shuttle going away from the ship. He, of course, did not survive. Neither did my mother, I wound up living with my Uncle Frank, Mom’s brother, until I was fourteen. Best thing I ever did was run away from home,” Jim sighed, then waved away the question forming on T’Sara’s lips. “It’s an old wound, and one, I suspect, that will never completely heal. I’ll just have to learn to live with it.”

The silence that followed was awkward, finally, Seruk spoke up, “You’ll be taking my Vulcan History class next term.”

“Yes,” Jim replied, his whole countenance brightening. “I’m interested in it. On Earth it’s broken down into three parts: pre-Surak, the Sundering, and post-Surak.”

Seruk settled back into his chair in a move that Jim would come to know as his talk mode. “Paleontological excavations show that Vulcan was once in the fifth position around our primary. It was also a much cooler and wetter climate than it is today. 40 Eridani A is now a red star, but it was probably more along the lines of Earth’s primary, Sol, is today, a mid-sized yellow star. It’s obviously an older star than Sol, as it blew up to a red giant. Vulcan’s probable previous position is based on other solar systems of similar types. Of course, evidence of ancient plants, seas and other bodies of water are everywhere if you know where to look.”

Seruk took a swallow of water from the cup T’Sara placed at his elbow, “It’s estimated that the climate changed along with the sun about twenty million years ago. There were bipedal Vulcanoids present at the time, but they were very primitive so we have no writing from that time. The seas largely dried up, plants and animal died by the millions. Underground aquifers, the polar ice, and a lake and a large sea did remain. Our ancestors struggled to survive, and obviously did.

“The societies that managed to spring up were largely based on small, family based units that could be organized into tribes. When the populations were still small tribes would meet, trade, fight, exchange mates, and do what most humanoid and vulcanoid populations have done across the galaxy. We didn’t have sophisticated weapons, spears, swords, and other weapons that served us well when we needed to fight dominated much of our pre-history. Then, we developed space travel and made first contact.

“Four thousand years ago we had developed enough technologically and cooperatively to venture into space. Unlike you, since we don’t have any natural satellites, we didn’t go there. We did, however, end up at our next neighbor, which is similar to your Mars. We hadn’t developed Warp Drive yet, but we were using fusion technology that managed to get us there in reasonable amounts of time. We hadn’t, yet, started using that on ourselves. We were in the asteroid and Kuiper belts mining, and were understandably curious if anyone else was out there. We found out the hard way.

“Two hundred years after the first steps into space, we made first contact. Much is made of the Andorians, and our peaceful start with that war-like race, but our first actual contact was with the Orions. Orions then were much like they are today, pirates and slave traders. Oh, they pretended to come in peace, bringing their women with them, but they ended pillaging, plundering, and even kidnapping many of our people. The first use of atomic weapons on our soil was against slavers who had landed near a village. It took out the slavers, the village, and anything living near it.

“After the use of atomics, people, men and women, rose up to take control of these deadly weapons. They threatened, and used them liberally when people didn’t bow to their wishes. They had ancient mind-lords who could kill with just a glance at their target. It was even said they could control the weather. Whether or not this is true, this is referred to as the Time of Troubles. Neighbor could not trust neighbor. You noticed how much noise you made coming to the house?” Jim nodded, “Those were defenses set up during the Time of Troubles. This house was built toward the end of it. Toward the end, a man arose from the disaffected by the name of Surak. He was tired, tired of the fighting and the killing. He proposed a new way of life, one of logic. He walked everywhere with two companions, and no weapons. Oh, he could defend himself, but he chose to be a man of peace. He felt the best way of showing his principles, was to live them.

“He traveled Vulcan spreading his philosophy of logic and peace, gathering followers as he went. Much like some of your people in history: Jesus, Buddha, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi among many others. The Sundering was a result of his presence on this world. Originally, those who built the ships that left Vulcan were Surak’s followers. They wanted to go off and leave this world to its fate, they felt it would tear itself apart. Surak was at the spaceport, waiting to get on one of the ships when the port was attacked by those who wanted to kill everyone and stop the movement in its tracks. Not all of those who boarded followed the way of logic and peace, as we would find out years later. Thousands fled Vulcan that day, and we would not know of their fate for nearly two thousand years.

“Remember, we hadn’t developed warp drive yet and these people were using atomic engines to get them to whatever their destination happened to be. Vulcan fell back into its old ways, but Surak was not forgotten. In fact, his movement picked up speed and spread throughout Vulcan. When the priestesses on Mt. Seleya started practicing it, few dared not follow suit.

“During the next two hundred years after The Sundering we get into what we refer to the Transition. First, Shi’Kahr was solidified as the Capital of Vulcan. The High Council was founded so that people could have a voice in their government and their world. Mating customs were more formalized, the bonding ceremonies that you hear about so much, tribal names were largely dropped. You ever hear a Vulcan tell you their last name?” Jim shook his head. “That’s because we no longer have them. Some of the ancient families may still have them written down somewhere, but they are no longer relevant. For example: when addressed formally, Sarek is child of Skonn, child of Solkar, his father and grandfather. It levels the playing field, so to speak.

“Besides these important milestones the Halls of Healing and the Halls of Thought on Mount Seleya were established. On the other side of Vulcan, on Mt. Gol, another society established itself based off the ancient mind lords who perverted out natural telepathic and empathic abilities. There, the monks established Kohlinar. Those who go there prepare to banish all emotions and become one with Vulcan. Very few actually take this step, as it’s considered a drastic one. After they do this, they are cut off from their families except on the most formal basis. There’s also a sanctuary there where people can go to meditate and ‘get away from it all’. All are welcome, as they are on Mt. Seleya, as long as they come in peace.

“Then, two events happened in the span of a decade. A team of scientists working from the Vulcan Science Academy developed Warp Drive. This, of course, allowed us to travel further and faster. We were able to spread to nearby solar systems and colonize other worlds. However, after what happened with the Orions, we avoided any that held sentient species. Slowly spreading out into the galaxy, the next species we made contact with did it in rather spectacular fashion. The Andorian vessel crashed near Mt. Seleya, leaving five of its seven crewmembers dead, one barely clinging to life, and the last died soon afterwards. The young survivor, N’Gaia, was brought to the Halls of Healing on Mt. Seleya. The Healers did their best as they were not familiar with Andorian physiology, and could not give him blood. Other scientists set out beacons hoping to attract his own kind to Vulcan so he would have a better chance at survival.

“Despite the odds being highly against him, he not only survived but settled in at Mt. Seleya for the next six years. He couldn’t tell us where Andor was, but he slowly began to understand us, and we him. By the time more Andorians showed up to retrieve him, we could communicate fairly well with them. The fact that we helped him engendered a certain amount of trust between us and them. It started slowly, we traded. N’Gaia returned to Vulcan as an Ambassador of sorts, and one of our people, Tarok, went to Andor. We found that we had many things in common, and they helped us build a defense fleet. We shared scientific data with them. We respected each other in many things. So, we formed an alliance that still exists, two thousand years later.

“We made contact with other species such as the Betazeds, and their desire for peace also formed a lasting alliance with them as well. Then, came that moment two hundredish years ago. Zephram Cochrane ignited the engines on the Phoenix and sent it hurtling through space at Warp One, attracting our attention. It was said that he turned on music so loud at the first meeting that the ship’s captain jumped straight out of his seat,” Seruk paused. “It was odd, though, when the Vulcans first came off the ship, he greeted them with ‘Glad you could make it’. It was almost as if he was expecting them.

“You know the history from there, the first USS Enterprise and T’Pol, the founding of the United Federation of Planets. You know, we’re really going to have to introduce you to T’Pol,” Seruk said thoughtfully. “As for the Romulans, twenty years after the founding of the Federation, we made contact and saw what we would have become if not for Surak. Warriors, cunning, intelligent, with little to hold them back, they brutalize their own people more than others. Maybe, one day, we could talk to them, but I think there’s too much resentment, even if they weren’t responsible directly for what happened to the USS Kelvin. Ah, dinner’s ready.”

Jim smiled, these people would always surprise him. He managed to get through dinner without feeling too awkward, even when T’Sara announced, “Jim, T’Nara is unbonded. If you are interested in getting to know her better, we would not object.”

T’Nara saw him out, and under the starlit sky, she quietly told him, I would not object either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Avirra, Gal, and Nagi at the LJ site for helping me with this.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we’re back to Jim and Spock Prime on Delta Vega. Don’t own them.

_Delta Vega_

Jim stared in awe and awkward fascination at the ancient Vulcan. The mind-meld left a hideous headache that he’d experienced before, but the information he had been bombarded with left him breathless. “So, I was supposed to go to Starfleet Academy,” he whispered.

Spock sighed, “I’m not sure, and this is the first time I even considered you would go down a completely different path. My father welcomed you more than he did me.”

Jim reached out, palms up, not actually talking the older man, “Spock, I barely know you, either one of you. I know your father and your mother.” Jim took a deep breath, remembering the woman who became like a mother to him, one that he’d never had, “Knew your mother. The man I encountered on the Enterprise was just as proud his mother and stubborn as his father. How can I convince him of anything? I’m not Starfleet.”

“Jim, all I know is that somehow, somewhere, you must take control of the Enterprise. The fate of Earth and the Federation rests on you doing just that,” Spock was once again confronted by those blue eyes. When did Jim get so tall? “There’s a Starfleet outpost near here. We’ll stand a better chance of getting you back on the Enterprise from there.”

_Back on Vulcan_

Jim came home and through a sketchpad on the kitchen table. M’Benga and Amanda looked up at him, quite perplexed. “How am I supposed to work with that woman?! She’s impossible!”

“Who?” Amanda asked as Geoff raised an eyebrow.

“T’Pring, I don’t understand how she got into the Diplomatic School. We’re collaborating on a paper on Andorian society, and she insists that she do all the writing. I have TWO Masters degrees that required that I WRITE papers and DEFEND them! She thinks all I’m good for is drawing!” Jim vented. “She told me, today, that nothing can happen between us, that she’s bonded to another man. Like I’d EVER be interested in that…that…”

Geoff started in on the chicken dish trying very hard not to laugh, Amanda responded, “She can be cold.”

“THAT is an understatement. Who the HELL is she bonded to?” he asked.

“My son, Spock,” Amanda breathed.

Jim’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull, “Wow, I wouldn’t have blamed him if she was that he left. I’m sorry, Amanda, she’s made a lot of assumptions.” He sat down and dug into the lunch that she set before him. Jim was an amazing houseguest, he kept his room clean, helped with the housework, and even helped wipe the dishes after every meal. Amanda smiled as they finished lunch. Jim picked up a charcoal pencil and started sketching. Amanda walked behind him and watched him draw a city she’d never seen before.

“Where is that?” she finally asked.

“This is Andor, the capital city of Andor. They actually have their own name, but Andor was easier for most other species to get their mouths around,” Amanda couldn’t help but admire the drawing as it took shape.

His PADD pinged, _Kirk, here’s the paper. T’Pring._

Jim read what she’d written and sighed, “This is barely acceptable. You’ll excuse me, I have revisions to make.”

Amanda watched as he left the room, “I’m going to call T’Nara.” Geoff watched as she rose from the chair and went to the comm.

“Well, I have some books to study,” Geoff murmured with a grin before inserting the dishes into the dishwasher and heading off to his own room.

Jim looked up as a knock sounded on his door, “T’Nara! What are you doing here?” he asked, rising from his chair.

“Amanda called, are you okay?” she asked as she sat on his bed. She looked at him, concerned.

“Yeah, T’Pring is a bitch,” he breathed.

“Come on,” she said, beckoning to him. Jim got up and followed her outside. They ventured into the desert around the house. The muted yellow, tan and brown hues were punctuated with bits of colors of green, red, and blue of various animals that inhabited the Vulcan desert landscape. “Look around you, Jim, you’re an amazing person who’s chosen to live among complete strangers. The amount of trust that took…”

“T’Nara, what do you know about Tarsus IV?” Jim said interrupting her.

“A famine occurred there, and a massacre. There was a group of children who survived in spite of…” she looked at him. “You have no reason to trust us,” she said, comprehension dawning on her face.”

“No, Vulcans never abused me. A Vulcan found me, and I was buried deep underground in the Governor’s basement. I have a difficult time trusting people, but Vulcans, Vulcans never did me wrong…”

_USS Enterprise_

T’Nara’s hands clutched at the observation deck window, “A Vulcan did you wrong now, Jim.”

“T’Nara,” a voice sounded behind her. She whirled around to discover Geoff and Sarek behind her, “Geoff tells me that Spock threw Jim off the ship. Is that true?”

“Yes, Ambassador,” she responded.

“Where are your parents?” he asked.

“They were visiting my brother on Condus IV. I talked to them minutes ago, they are relieved to know that I am safe,” she responded.

“Good, Amanda and I spent so much time helping him trust other people, and my own son may have just thrown it all away,” Sarek said quietly. T’Nara and Geoff said nothing. They, too, hoped that Spock’s actions had not broken the deep sense of trust that Jim had finally forged with those around him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim comes to the realization that a Vulcan is a spoiled, rotten brat, and her name is T’Pring. So, he tries to teach her a few things about writing. Wish a few authors would pay attention to this. Don’t own them.

Jim sighed, it was clear that T’Pring not only didn’t have a clue, but was a spoiled, rotten brat. He didn’t know that such things could exist on Vulcan, “T’Pring, have you ever written a paper?”

“Of course, my tutors all helped me write my essays for school,” she responded coolly.

“In other words, they wrote them for you,” he concluded. The woman drew herself up, cool and aloof, he waved at her, “You don’t need to answer that. I wrote two Master’s Theses and defended them. I will attempt to teach you how to write. First, you must write it in paragraph form.”

“I did,” she answered.

“One huge paragraph six pages long does not constitute a well-constructed paper. Each point needs to go on a different paragraph. Quotes from cited sources can go in the paragraph, but a number needs to follow each source. If you’re quoting people directly, especially in a narrative form, each speaker needs their quote on a separate line. Also, there should be a Bibliography of all cited sources at the end of the paper. Finally, there’s the grammar. ‘David went to the store with George and I’ is not correct. You would not say, ‘David went to the store with I,’ you would say ‘with me’. Therefore, it is ‘David went to the store with George and me.’ I goes before the verb, me after the verb and prepositions,” she looked at him like he was a bug she was about to smash under her shoes. “Alright, you don’t believe me. I’m going to rewrite this paper the way it should be written. You could look at it if you wish, and put your name on it alongside mine. But, I’m not putting my name on this!” he held up the six page report in front of him.

“Do not worry, Mr. Kirk, your name will not be sullied by my paper. Neither will my name be sullied by yours,” she turned on her heel and left.

T’Nara looked up as Jim pulled out the reconstructed, eighteen page paper from the folder in front of him. “Are you really going to submit that paper?” she asked.

Jim looked at her, “Yes.”

T’Nara shook her head as her partner, Tored, shook his head. They had both read both versions of the paper, “It is a better paper,” Tored commented.

T’Nara nodded her agreement, “You gave her the drawings for her paper.”

Jim grimaced, “Yes, I did. I don’t want T’Lon telling me that I didn’t support T’Pring.”

“No one could accuse you of doing that, Jim,” Tored reassured him.

A week later they turned in their papers. Three days later Jim received a message that T’Lon wanted to see both him and T’Pring in her office. Jim sighed and headed for the Academy. T’Lon looked at both of them, “You both submitted a paper.”

“Yes, T’Lon,” they responded.

“Jim, who wrote the paper?” she asked.

Jim nodded at T’Pring, “She did, T’Lon.”

“So, you rewrote it?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Ma’am. I offered to let both of our names go on the paper after I finished editing it, and she offered to let me put my name on hers. I wanted a good grade,” he responded.

“Your previous writing experience is very much in evidence, Jim. Your efforts in the paper and in editing it means you will receive the highest grade possible. T’Pring, he may be human, but he obviously knows what he’s doing. You could learn a thing or two from him. Rewrite the paper following Jim’s advice.”

It was obvious that they had been dismissed. They left her office and walked down the hallway, “T’Pring, all I did was try to help you. Let’s go to the library, and we’ll go over the paper and what you can do to tighten it up.” T’Pring paused, “We have an old saying on earth, ‘Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face’. Don’t turn your nose at my proffered help just because I’m human. It’s not logical.”

T’Pring looked at him and nodded, “You are correct, of course.”

_USS Enterprise_

“T’Nara, did Jim make it off the Enterprise?” T’Nara turned to find T’Pring standing in the doorway. In spite of the rough beginning, she and Jim had forged both respect and a friendship.

“Yes, he did. Spock threw him off the ship,” T’Nara replied explaining what happened.

“Maybe I should speak with Spock,” T’Pring responded.

T’Nara sighed quietly, “Your relationship is very strained, T’Pring. You don’t feel the same way about him anymore, and I don’t think he does as well. It was an arranged marriage.”

“What are you telling me?” T’Pring whispered, well aware that the man she wanted may not have made it off Vulcan.

“What Jim would suggest, follow your heart,” T’Nara told him. They both turned back to the observation window and watched as the stars sped by.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Company go to some interesting extremes to try and even make heads or tails of some languages. And, a field trip is scheduled. Don’t own them.

It was Geoff who found them in the study at Sarek’s home, and he wasn’t prepared for what he found. He turned around and got Amanda and Sarek, just to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. They all walked in and Amanda couldn’t help but laugh, “Jim, what are you doing?”

Jim and his friends were standing on their heads trying to read the PADDS, which were right side up, in their hands. “Trying to read Gorn,” Jim replied.

“Gorn?” Sarek asked, perplexed. “They have a written language?”

“Yes,” Sirek responded. “They may be ectothermic, but their language is quite complex.”

“You ought to hear alligators and crocodiles on Earth,” Jim said. “You can’t tell me they don’t communicate.”

“Jim,” Amanda interrupted, “I’m not sure that crocodilians would be considered to have a language.”

“Is the change in position helping?” Sarek asked.

Jim sighed, “No, not really.” He rolled over from his position against the wall. The others agreed as they pushed themselves back over. “Fortunately, they’re not actually requiring us to learn Gorn, just be familiar with it.”

“I take it, it wouldn’t have helped orienting the PADD correctly to your position?” Sarek asked.

“Didn’t help either way we did it,” T’Nara replied, she landed with a thump. Amanda and Geoff grinned and wandered away. Sarek watched, wondering if the often unorthodox approach to studying was Kirk’s idea. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

“Alright,” Jim muttered as his PADD pinged, so did the ones the others held. Jim’s eyes raised over the top of the PADD. “We’re going on a field trip,” Jim said with a sigh.

“Betazed,” T’Pring responded. Many of the Vulcans in the room had never been off-planet. T’Pring was one of the few who had. She nodded.

“Very similar to Earth, only a larger tropical zone and smaller temperate climates, its inhabitants are telepathic, and communicate mostly through that medium. Humans and Vulcans generally have some psi abilities, therefore, communication with them is not much of a strain,” T’Pring read.

“We leave tomorrow,” Jim responded. He laughed, “They recommend dressing for cooler weather as the average temperature where we're going is 28°C.”

Jim’s classmates nodded soberly before getting up to leave. Jim walked them out before he returned to the cooler interior of the home, “The atmosphere’s thicker too, they’ll have to get used to that.” Jim looked at Sarek, “What do you need me to do before you leave?”

Sarek nodded, Jim took his work seriously, “Go through my schedule, and make sure I don’t have anything overlapping.” Jim nodded before sitting down at the computer and going through Sarek’s itinerary. It was fortunate he was not due to go off-planet for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Twelve students boarded the shuttle to the Vulcan ship taking them to Betazed. T’Nara sat between Jim and T’Pring. As experienced travelers they sat the nervous young woman between them. T’Nara took deep breaths as they took off. Half-way to Betazed they would transfer to a Betazoid liner to help the Vulcans adapt to the new climes. New clothes had been acquired for all of the Vulcans, Jim just pulled out the suitcase that contained the clothes he had worn on his trip from Earth.

They heard the clunk as the shuttle docked at an airlock with the Vulcan ship. The ship had no shuttle bay, and the airlocks were the only options, other than the transporters, to board it. One of the many crewmembers met them at the lock as T’Lon nodded to them. It was soberly, and quietly done as they were shown their rooms. As Jim expected, it was as austere and undecorated as his room back on Vulcan. He wondered what the Betazoid rooms would look like. He was used to the Vulcan atmosphere and climate, and wondered if he would be up to going back to Terran norm.

Jim sighed as he readied for bed. He could feel the ship jump to warp speed. He didn’t expect to be leaving Vulcan this soon, but this was what he signed up for, and Betazoids were reported to be as warm and welcoming as their planets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are they? Well, we actually do know the answer to that. Let’s see what the future brings.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim receives some disturbing news on the way to Betazed. Don’t own them.

They had boarded the Betazoid ship two days earlier when T’Nara found Jim in the mess with a bleak look on his face. He did not look happy. He had spent enough time on Vulcan and had gained some emotional control, but some things he couldn’t hide. T’Nara slid into the seat next to him, “What’s wrong?”

Jim sighed, “Winona and Frank.”

It took a moment for T’Nara to remember of whom he spoke, his mother and stepfather, “What about them?”

“They’re coming to Betazed and want to see me. They say it has something to do with their will, and something about my Uncle, Merrin’s, will,” Jim mumbled.

“I don’t understand,” T’Nara said.

“His only son, John, and his family were on Deneva, everyone but his youngest son died. Michael is being cared for by Debbie’s, John’s sister, Deirdre, on Earth. My mother spent most of my life ignoring that I was even alive, and Frank, well, I’m not going there. Sam and I escaped when we could. I can’t possibly understand what Winona would want with me in her Will. Uncle Merrin, however,” his eyes glittered with unshed tears. “He died before I left for Vulcan. There was another trust fund mentioned, but it was in litigation. Winona, I guess, decided I didn’t need it, and sued for the money. The money I received as part of the settlement for my Dad’s death benefits were all that I was due, according to Winona.”

T’Nara looked around the mess hall. Most of those wandering around were Betazoids returning home. A few others, humans, Vulcans, and a few Andorians, also sat around the tables. The mess was a pale blue color and had various fruit trees scattered around. “What will you do?” she finally asked.

“I don’t know,” he whispered as the others joined them. He had already eaten, and as it was the meal that included some form of meat. He remained silent throughout the meal. He silently left well before anyone had finished. No one said anything, and T’Nara rose soon after finishing her own meal. The excitement that exuded from Jim before that morning seemed to just snuff out. She found him in the lounge, alone, staring out into space. He never looked up, “I told her that I’d meet her. There’s a café in the Capital, Rixx, where off-worlders frequently meet. That way she won’t know where I’m staying.”

* * *

Jim’s ebullient spirit finally reasserted itself before they landed on Betazed. He smiled and charmed his way through many a spirited discussion. One Vulcan Physicist insisted that Quantum Strings did not exist. Jim pointed out the formularies, and even damage to vessels that could have not been caused by anything else. He met a young Scot on his way Earth from visiting family on Oreb IV, and he quietly listened to him talk about his theory on trans-warp beaming. His only comment being, “If this is true about beaming, could we not translate that to the Warp Drive?” The young Scot was flummoxed.

The Vulcans wore warmer clothing, sweaters included. Jim wore khaki shorts and a t-shirt. The air seemed very thick as they were confronted with humidity, some for the first time in their lives. “Ah,” Jim sighed. “Reminds me of Georgia in the summer.” He looked at everyone, “Aren’t you hot?” If there had been an expression on T’Lon’s face when he looked at him, T’Nara was sure it would have been one of absolute horror. He even stared at the pair of thongs on Jim’s feet as they slapped against the bottom of his feet as he walked away and left the tops of them bare.

They stayed at what would have been termed as a wayfarer’s hostel. Tiny rooms just big enough for a bed, stacked on top of each other. They crawled into their room and found a curtain covered the door allowing for privacy. Bathrooms down the hall and lockers nearby provided for other necessities. Jim shrugged before climbing into his own space. They were all tired. Tomorrow, T’Lon had provided some time for a tour of Rixx, and for Jim to take care of his business.

The next day, the Vulcans were still adjusting to the new planet as Jim headed out, PADD in hand. “Jim, do you want me to go with you?” T’Nara asked.

Jim’s eyebrows creased momentarily as he considered the questions, “No, T’Nara, go, enjoy yourself. I’ll meet up with you later.”

T’Nara was struck at the sheer wastefulness of water that was evident on Betazed. They all were. Their tour guide smiled, “I forgot, Vulcan is a desert planet. Betazed is a water world. We have more to go around. Hundreds of years ago, we faced the same issues that Earth did in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We had changed the climate significantly. We are also a stubborn species, but we cannot lie. So, we faced the needs of changing our habits head on.”

T’Pring raised a hand, “Is that because you are full telepaths?”

“That we cannot lie? Yes, what use is it to lie when everyone would know instantly that you had,” she replied. They biked through the capital. Bicycles were an Earth invention, but many cultures had stolen it as a handy and clean form of transportation. In fact, when Jim joined back up with him, he rode a bike as well. A backpack strapped to his back the only visible addition from his morning departure. They met up with him at an estate on the outskirts of Rixx. A picnic had been set up by the local family matriarch, who smiled at her guests as they ate.

After returning to their hostel Jim and T’Nara sat down in the lounge where he pulled actual paperwork out it, “My Uncle’s Will has been settled. Michael is receiving 5,000 credits a month that will go to his maintenance. What has that got to do with me? I’ve been declared to be the administrator of the funds. I’ll control that stipend until he’s eighteen.”

T’Nara looked at the papers, “What about Frank and Winona.”

“Winona’s leaving her estate to Sam. Not surprisingly, I’m getting nothing. I don’t need anything from her or Frank. Frank did promise that he’s giving me the piano I admired. He’s occasionally been fair to me, when he wasn’t drunk.”

“How long has it been since you had a drink?” T’Nara asked.

Jim thought, “It was before I left Earth. One last toast to good old Iowa.” Jim fell silent. T’Nara let the silence stay. She could only imagine what it was like to lose so much as Jim had in the short time he’d been alive.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We continue our adventures on Betazed. Don’t own them.

Jim sat in the café across from the hostel, looking at a picture. T’Nara came up behind him to see a blonde haired child surrounded by two sisters who were older than he. “Is that Michael,” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s Michael,” he said with a sad smile. “He looks like me at that age, believe it or not. Look at the eyes.” T’Nara looked closer and saw the startling blue eyes peering back that belonged to his uncle. “No, he’s not mine. I met Debbie once at their wedding, and Michael is their youngest. John’s eyes were green,” Jim’s voice had a slight hitch to it.

T’Nara sat down next to him and proceeded to consume her meal. The other Vulcans joined them as they each ordered their meal. Jim stuck to the meal plan he had started on Vulcan, He stuck with orange juice, toast with jelly, and oatmeal, well, and their Betazoid equivalent anyway. T’Lon looked at them before she spoke, “Today, we meet with the Betazoid Council. To all outward appearances Betazed is a matriarchal society with women inheriting everything. Truth be told, it’s not. Yes, property and other inheritances tend to go to the oldest daughter, but, it can go, legally, to either sex. The council is comprised of both men and women. Currently, it is six men and four women of all different backgrounds. So, this a fairly egalitarian society. Just be polite, and remember, they can tell instantly if you’re lying,” she pinned Jim with her stare.

They stood and proceeded to the Hall of the Council. Various people walked by, and some even smiled at the off-worlders. Jim absently smiled back while the others merely nodded. They entered the building, and it was just that. Nothing marked it out as a governmental building except the sign outside that read, “Hall of the Council”. The halls were white, the reception area was also white. A man sat behind a desk and smiled at them, _May I help you?_ It wasn’t spoken, Jim heard it clear as a bell in his head.

“Yes,” T’Lon spoke. “We are the group from Vulcan to observe the council meeting today.”

_Oh, yes, from the Vulcan Science Academy. Follow me._ They did, and found themselves in a room similar to that of the Vulcan Council room that Jim had been in weeks earlier with Sarek. Ten men and women sat at a semi-circular table on a dais at the front of the room. The students sat in the stadium like seating toward the back. Jim turned on his PADD to record the meeting, just as if he were Sarek’s aide at the meeting.

The main purpose of the meeting was a call from Starfleet regarding some of the graduates from the University of Betazed. They had been given permission to recruit from the University, but only about ten had so far signed up for Starfleet Academy. All were destined for some sort of Psychiatric role. Some of the residents were protesting the recruitment, while others were praising it, giving the young people, who were not likely to inherit anything, a way to become productive citizens. Where the conversations were entirely telepathic, Jim typed notes into the PADD.

T’Pring leaned over and realized what Jim was doing, “Why are you doing that?” she asked softly.

“Keeping in practice,” Jim whispered back. “Plus, it’ll make a good study, contrasting the styles of Betazed and Vulcan.”

“You’ve done this at a Vulcan High Council meeting?” T’Lon asked, startled.

“Of course, I am Ambassador Sarek’s aide,” Jim responded, keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

T’Lon nodded, “It is highly probable that we will learn from the notes that Mr. Kirk is jotting down.”

“I wish you would call me Jim, Professor,” Jim said.

“It would not be appropriate,” the professor responded.

“Why not? You call the others by their first name,” Jim retorted.

“They do not have last names,” T’Lon said.

“My point exactly,” Jim replied, turning back to his PADD to jot down more telepathically sent notes. T’Lon was left speechless as the meeting came to an end.

A striking woman approached them. Her mid-brown hair, dark eyes and imperious gaze took them all in before she smiled, “I am Adralla Konev, one of the councilors here. If you will follow me, I will take you to my office and we can talk about what transpired here, and how Betazed is different from and similar to many of the other Federation worlds.”

Adralla led them into a spacious office where an aide looked up and nodded at them before returning to his screen. “Councilor,” Jim started, “It says here that you are a daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed and Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx. What exactly does this signify?”

She smiled genuinely at the young human, “Not a lot really, I have a large estate in the countryside, and there are like thirty houses that are ranked one to thirty. Mine just happens to be number five. The Sacred Chalice is something that is passed down from generation to generation to whomever inherits the estate.”

“Does it always pass down the female line?” Jim asked.

“Usually, although my great grandfather held the Chalice until he died and passed it on to my grandmother,” she answered. “Any questions about the meeting, or Betazed?”

“You have an Ambassador to the Federation,” Tuvon chimed in. “How does he best represent Betazed’s interest there?”

Adralla was charming and open as she continued her conversation with the students. She answered their questions as best she could, and finally ended it with an invitation to a garden party she was holding their last day on Betazed. She even looked Jim over, something he that did not escape his notice. T’Nara noticed that he smiled politely back at her, but did not seem to return her interest.

“Jim,” T’Nara said quietly back at the hostel. “Did you not find Adralla attractive?” She was a little fearful of the answer.

Jim brushed her hand with his own before answering, “Yes, but I find you more so.” He looked around carefully, making sure they were alone before leaning in for a kiss. She surprised herself by losing herself in not only the kiss, but in him. She was suddenly certain that the universe revolved around him and that he definitely had feelings for her and her alone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’re going to a party! Don’t own them.

_Delta Vega_

Jim sighed as he and Spock looked across the icy tundra. He was suddenly taken back to that trip to Betazed so long ago. The animals had been a lot nicer. Hell, the terrain had been a **whole** lot more hospitable, and warmer. He looked at his companion who nodded.

They encountered no more enormous inhabitants on the long, cold, hurried trek to the Starfleet outpost they saw. It took a moment for them to actually operate the door mechanism. They weren’t quite sure if it was because the computer wasn’t working, of the opening mechanism had frozen shut. They entered the building to be approached by one of the smallest beings he had ever met. Of course, being six feet tall meant he was taller than many humanoids.

The being, who called himself Keenser, snorted before leading them to the interior of the building. Jim started when he realized who was reclining in the chair in front of him…

_Betazed_

T’Nara and Jim didn’t quite hold hands, the others would have looked disapprovingly at that, but it was obvious they were closer. Their chairs were a tad bit closer to each other. They still walked side by side, but they walked a little closer to each other. Nothing was ever obvious, but people knew. Especially the morning that T’Nara offered Jim a cup of water. Jim blushed, even he knew what that meant. They were unofficially officially a couple.

That afternoon they attended Adralla’s garden party. She laid a feast designed for many species: Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, and those who ate carrion. That food she kept in a sealed tent so that it wouldn’t disturb the other guests. Like so many of her social ranking, her sprawling estate took up at least thirty acres of land. The house was modest by Betazoid means. It only had twenty-two bedrooms and facilities. The gardens took another fifteen acres, and the rest were left to the wild lands that the local populace kept, ensuring that the ecological balance of the area.

They saw many animals, some looked familiar. There were animals that looked like deer, rabbits, and a canine that came through and causing many people to stop and watch. Others looked different. There were many animals that had six and eight legs, and were significantly larger than Earth insects. There were no large, flying animals such as birds and bats, but there were flying insects. Several servitors were handing out a grain substance and told them to sit on the steps at the back of a gazebo. Jim and T’Nara along with T’Pring and another Vulcan, Stonn, ventured over to the structure and sat.

One of the deer-like animals, Adralla called them Joar, ventured out of the forest and approached them. Jim extended a hand with the grain. The animal approached cautiously, sniffing at Jim’s hand. It nuzzled his hand before nuzzling it with its soft, velvety nose. Jim laughed softly, wondering if it was male or female. She turned cautiously, making a high-pitched noise behind her as the other three held out there hands. Two smaller animals, her youngsters obviously, approached them. It seemed that T’Nara and T’Pring almost held their breaths as the young Joar also accepted their gifts. Soon, the three headed back into the forest and Stonn tossed his handful onto the ground, confident that it would be eaten.

By mutual agreement they rose and headed back to the party. There seemed to be an awful lot of cucumber sandwiches, and Jim searched for a little more variety. He found other dainties. Fruit filled tarts, meat and cheese sandwiches, and salads. He loaded up a plate with his choices, and picked up a glass that he was promised wasn’t alcoholic. He watched as his fellow students loaded up their own plates.

Adralla looked sleek in a summer dress of pale blue as she mingled with her guests. A man travelled at her side and appeared to be her husband. Two others, a boy of about twelve and a girl of about eight, also wandered through. Jim surmised that they were her children. The affair was quite sedate as an orchestra sat nearby playing music. Adralla stopped and talked to T’Nara and Jim, “Are you enjoying yourselves?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jim replied. T’Nara nodded her head, suddenly shy.

Adralla smiled, “Good, you’ve found your way to each other.” She waved the man to her side, “This is my husband, Ilio.”

Ilio crooked a grin at them, “It’s a pleasure. Adralla told me about meeting you. Is it true you recorded the meeting?”

Jim smiled, “I’m Ambassador Sarek’s aide, and have the tendency to take notes that way. Helps me keep track of things that he might need to know.”

“Can I steal you?” Adralla asked with a laugh. “How does it feel to be the first non-Vulcan at the Academy?”

“It’s different, but they’ve treated me well. I’ve heard they can be mean, but I’ve never seen that,” Jim replied.

“Well, I hope you continue to be so fortunate,” Adralla replied. “You leave for home tomorrow?”

“Yes,” T’Nara replied. “It will be good to be home again.” Jim silently agreed, it seemed odd, but Vulcan was now his home in his mind and his heart.

_Delta Vega_

…”Scotty?” Jim exclaimed.

“Do I know you?” the other man replied.

Spock looked at him, “You are Montgomery Scott.”

“I’m sorry, I’m none the wiser. Do I know you?” Scotty asked again.

“We met when you travelled to the Academy. You were talking about Transwarp Beaming,” Jim said.

“Oh, now I remember. You wondered if those principles could be applied to warp engines. I cannae e’en get the beaming right. Made Admiral Archer’s dog disappear…” his voice trailed off as the elderly Vulcan stared at him. “Can I help you?”

“Well, do you have a beaming platform? We need to get Jim back on the Enterprise,” Spock replied.

“Yeah, I have one, but how do you propose to do that?” Scotty asked. They both watched incredulously as Spock nodded, indicating that he could do just that.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did mention this is AU and does veer wildly out of Cannon, didn’t I? Wait, there’s little actual cannon in this story, that’s why they call it an AU. lol They meet living legends. Don’t own them.

Readjusting to Vulcan took a little time. Fortunately, they hadn’t been on Betazed long enough to require Jim to go back on the triox compounds. The heat was a little disconcerting, but easier to adjust to. Geoff was glad to see him, and so was Amanda. Sarek was relieved. Apparently, he had received several messages telling him that Jim was going to be hijacked by someone else who saw his potential as an aide.

Three days after their return, another professor, Soret, announced that their history class would be visited by two living legends: Admiral Jonathan Archer and T’Pol. This set off murmurs in the crowd of students. Jim smiled, he’d met Admiral Archer many times, and considered him an old family friend. “You know something, don’t you?” T’Pring asked, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

“You’ll see,” Jim responded.

The elderly Admiral and the middle-aged Vulcan entered the room with the ease of long acquaintance. Archer smiled, T’Pol did not. “Greetings Admiral Archer, T’Pol. Welcome to History of the Federation,” Soret welcomed them into the classroom.

“Thank you, Professor,” Jon responded. “As you’ve probably guessed, I am not T’Pol,” Jim laughed, no one else did. “So, it’s true, a human attends the Academy this year,” he shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the crowd. “Jim, is that you?”

“Yes, Jon, it’s me, how are you?” Jim said with a grin.

“Better now that I know that there’s someone in here to laugh at my bad jokes,” Archer responded. Jim smiled again, “So, all of you know of me, now, and at least one of you knows me. Here we go, I am Admiral Jonathan Archer. I am from Earth, and I commanded the first ship that would become a Federation Starship, the NX-01 USS Enterprise. ‘Enterprise’ has a long and illustrious career as a name throughout Earth’s history. My father worked with many people on the Enterprise, and died before it launched. I commanded the Enterprise on its many voyages. T’Pol and several others served with me,” he glanced affectionately at the Vulcan, “Most of them: Tripp and Hoshi Sato have passed away.” Pain flickered across his face as he mentioned the names. Jim understood all too well, especially about Hoshi.

“Okay,” he flickered the screen on behind them, “This is MY Enterprise.” An impressive looking ship came up, “She was history, and in a museum, I might add. When you make the trip to San Francisco, you’ll be able to see this ship. I suppose I belong in a museum somewhere, but they can’t afford to feed me,” Jim snickered again. Various pictures of the interior of the ship and many members of the crew. The last two were of Tripp and Sato. “Since then, I’ve been Commander Starfleet. That’s right, I’m a Fleet Admiral, and been married and had three children.” Another pic of three children, two girls and a boy flashed on the screen. “I am currently retired, but teaching at Starfleet Academy.”

T’Pol stepped forward, “I am T’Pol. I am a former sub-Commander for Vulcan and Starfleet. I am married and have two children.” No pictures accompanied this statement, she was Vulcan after all. I currently serve in a consulting position to several firms on and off Vulcan as someone with experience with other species. I also lecture some here at the Academy, and at Starfleet Academy.”

Jon looked around, “Are there any questions?”

T’Pring shot up a hand, “Starfleet and the Federation’s set goal is to keep peace in throughout the Federation. Yet wars, most notably with the Klingons and the Romulans, and travesties, such as Tarsus IV, have occurred. How does this impact their mission statements?”

Pain flickered across Archer’s face, and something resembling emotion might have crossed T’Pol’s face, “Wars are inevitable when rival species vie for the same resources,” Hoshi Sato’s picture flickered back onto the screen. “Hoshi was one of the casualties of Tarsus IV. There are several survivors of Tarsus IV here on Vulcan.” A picture flashed on the screen, a boy, hard to identify through the grainy frame and black and white structure, stared at the screen. He was gaunt, malnourished, and had precious food in his arms. “Does anyone know who this is?” Archer asked.

“JT,” someone answered. “The human boy who saved many of the children on Tarsus IV. No one knows his identity.”

T’Pol nodded, “The Tarsus 9, and none of them are identifying who this boy is, or even if he’s alive. He returned to Earth severely injured, and simply disappeared after he was discharged from the hospital. All of their records have been sealed, his have simply disappeared. It’s like he never existed.”

“He is the bane of Kodos’ perfect little world. He refused to die, and he refused to let those around him die. If I could, I would ask him what happened to Hoshi,” Jon whispered. “Tarsus was an anomaly, we all hope. We have set in place safeguards so that this will never happen again on colony worlds. If we lose contact with any colony for longer than a week, we send a ship out to find out why. Any other questions?”

T’Nara watched as Jim simultaneously recorded the class and typed something into his PADD. He seemed to paying no attention to the guests whatsoever. After the class ended Jim went up and smiled at the Admiral. T’Nara watched as they spoke for several minutes before Jim turned and left. She watched carefully as he turned and looked at Archer before hitting a button on his PADD before leaving for his next class. Archer’s PADD beeped at him. “Oh my god,” Archer murmured. “JT is alive.”

T’Pol’s head jerked toward the old man, “What makes you say that?”

“This,” Archer replied handing his PADD to T’Pol. On it was a full account of Sato’s life and death on Tarsus IV from the perspective a thirteen year old boy who lived during one of the greatest tragedies the Federation had ever seen.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few notes, I am not a fangirl, I am not a Trekkie. I am a Trek-aholic, and I’m never going to be in recovery. Forty-five years is a habit I refuse to break. At the time I wrote about Geoff and an Ebola outbreak, I was oblivious to what was going on in West Africa. I read “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston, oh, about twenty years ago, and am fully informed as to how Ebola is transmitted, unlike a certain Tea Party idiot. My thoughts go out to those in Africa who are watching their family and friends die and are helpless to do anything to stop it. Last, I have a crush on Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer), and have since “Quantum Leap”. If the “forty five year habit” hasn’t given you a hint as to my age, well, that show should! lol

T’Nara met up with Jim outside his next class, euphemistically called “Diplomacy 101”. “Jim!” she called. He turned, a genuine smile crossing his face, “You’re JT, aren’t you?”

The words had spoken in a low tone, meant only for his ears. Yet, he looked around before steering her toward an empty room and closing the door. “How did you figure that out?”

T’Nara looked at him, “I saw you typing on your PADD during the entire class, and I saw you turn and look at Admiral Archer and T’Pol before the Admiral got ‘JT’s’ message. How did you…?” T’Nara wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

Jim looked away from her, “It was a long time ago, T’Nara, and it’s a time I’d rather not talk about. Yes, I’m JT, and yes, I erased my very existence from the records. There are nine other people who know who I am.”

“The other members of the Tarsus 9 and who else?” T’Nara asked.

“Captain Christopher Pike,” Jim said. “He actually helped me get back home without being discovered.”

“You have mentioned someone named Frank. Who is he?” T’Nara asked.

“He’s my stepfather. Our relationship is…complicated,” Jim responded.

“He abused you,” it wasn’t a question. Jim looked at her, “Abused often have mixed feelings about their abusers. You love him, do you not?” Jim stared at the floor. T’Nara reached forward and forced his chin up, “That is not actual love; that is fear. You cannot love something you fear. You escaped to the University of Iowa?”

“Yes, he couldn’t get to me in Iowa, and Chris made sure that my tuition and home were paid for while I was there. My father was George Kirk.”

“The USS Kelvin,” T’Nara replied, the memory suddenly rising to the surface. “Your mother remarried?”

“Yes, and he was good to us in the beginning,” he told her the story of the beginning of the marriage, and then his mother’s leaving for longer and longer periods of time. “When I was twelve, Frank decided to sell my dad’s car, and both my brother, Sam, and I had had enough. So, Sam took off, and I left in the car, and promptly drove it off a cliff. Pissed Frank off to no end, when he bailed me out of jail, he beat me within an inch of my life. Chris showed up an hour later and saw me bleeding on the floor of the kitchen. He called the police. Frank went to jail, I went to live with my father’s sister on Tarsus IV, and my stuff went into storage. After I returned, I was sixteen, years out of high school, and had nothing to do. So, I ended up at the University of Iowa.”

“And that’s how you eventually ended up here on Vulcan,” T’Nara whispered.

“Yeah, that’s how I ended up here. Although, I was considering Starfleet. They were building a new ship at the Riverside Shipyards. She was magnificent looking, and I actually had a hand in helping with the engineering aspects of her. They were going to name her the USS Enterprise. Ironic, isn’t it?” Jim asked, winding an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. She wound her own arms around his neck as he pressed his lips to hers, “I like doing that with you.”

“I enjoy it myself,” she returned. They broke apart as the bell rang, “We need to get to class.”

Jim nodded as they both left and headed for class. The next day, T’Nara entered the first Pon Farr of her adult life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not afraid of making the next chapter a little more adult, but, if I do, the more mature chapter will only be posted on my AO3 account. Opinions?


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s mostly fannon, but, it is said some Vulcan females do enter Pon Farr, whether or not they are bonded. That’s what I’m basing this on. Take it for what it’s worth, and have fun! Don’t own them.

Jim was moody. That was the only way anyone living in Sarek’s household could describe it. He even snapped at the unoffending Sehlat sitting by his door early one morning. Amanda watched, with some amusement, everyone tiptoe around the young human. Geoff watched with worry as Jim slammed things around with no apparent reason, and Sarek tried to analyze the odd behavior from his houseguest.

“If I didn’t know better,” Sarek finally told Sarek and Geoff, “I would say he is entering Pon Farr.”

“He’s neither Vulcan nor bonded to one,” Amanda responded. Then paused for a brief moment, “Officially. Do we know what his human Psi score was?”

Geoff responded, “7.2, making him a mid-level empath on anyone’s, except maybe the Betazoid, scale. Someone’s in heat, and it’s affecting him.”

That was the problem. Most humans, like Amanda and Geoff, who came to live on Vulcan were low level Psi, or even Psi-Null, they sensed nothing. Amanda had enough that bonding with Sarek could happen, but only with an intermediary, like T’Pau, even unofficially. Jim, however, made it obvious that he was either picking up on someone’s cycle who lived nearby, or T’Nara had finally reached full maturity. Sarek and Amanda’s eyes met. “Geoff, call T’Sara, and ask what state her daughter is in. Amanda, I think you should have ‘the talk’ with Jim,” Sarek told them. Amanda and Geoff set off to their “assignments” while Sarek headed off to work.

It took ten minutes to confirm that T’Nara had reached maturity, and T’Sara was in as frantic a state as any Vulcan could be. Geoff tried to calm her down, "Ma’am, we realized what might be happening because Jim is in a pensive mood.”

T’Sara’s eyebrows knit together in an almost frown, “Jim? Oh, how is that possible?” Geoff went on to explain Jim’s Psi level. “Well, this won’t kill either of them, since there’s no formal bond, but if Jim would be accommodating?”

Geoff sighed with relief, “Amanda is discussing the possibility with him now, Ma’am,” Geoff replied. They cut the connection as Geoff worried about his friend. He worried enough about him that he tripped over the same Sehlat hovering near Jim’s door. Where did that animal come from? Geoff wondered. Sarek and Amanda did not keep any animals in their home.

Amanda did not touch Jim, it was considered a breach of protocol considering the state he was in, “So, I’m lusting after T’Nara?” he finally asked.

“That’s actually a good way to describe it,” Amanda responded. “Or, to be more accurate, you’re responding to her lust.”

“Do Vulcan females even have the same anatomy as human females? Will I know how to…uhm…you know…”

“Sarek was mated before he met me, Jim. They had a son, but she died in childbirth. We have not seen Sybok in longer than we have seen Spock. Sarek assured me that the anatomy is very similar, and he should know,” she laughed softly. Jim let out a nervous chuckle.

“What about, well, pregnancy?” Jim asked.

“Spock was genetically engineered at the VSA, Jim. We could not naturally conceive. The difference in the way oxygen is carried in the blood let alone anatomical differences…” she smiled at him. “Don’t worry about that. Go, enjoy yourselves.”

Jim knocked on the door with some trepidation. The emotions boiling over inside his head were strong and unexpected. Seruk jerked open the door with his mouth open, ready to repel any intruder. “Jim,” he said with relief. He grabbed hold of the younger man’s arm and literally propelled him into the house. Closing the door behind him Seruk quickly pushed Jim toward a hallway and another door that Jim hadn’t seen on his previous trips. “Just go in, it’s better this way,” Seruk soon hurried off.

Jim took a deep breath and put his hand on the handle. He opened it very cautiously and was shocked by what he found. The room was in shambles. The nightstand tipped over, a heavy armoire on its side, a large mirror lying on the floor. Worst of all was T’Nara. Her usually impeccable appearance was gone. Her hair unbrushed straggled everywhere. Her night wear torn and rent in various places. Strangest of all was the wild look in her eyes, almost like an animal. She actually growled at him before she launched herself straight at him.

Jim’s instincts took over. He grabbed her wrists and shoved her back against a wall. He pinned her arms above her before giving a deep throated kiss. She tried to knee him, but he was prepared for that. This was time to be the dominant male, Alpha if you would. No other tactic would work in this situation. He grabbed her night shirt and literally ripped it off her exposing tender breasts. He growled back at her as he bent and nipped at her nipple. She moaned even as she struggled against him. She wasn’t saying no, she wanted him to prove his worthiness as her mate. He bit more strongly at the nipple and felt her shiver in front of him. His hand went to her pants and went down them. He fingered her sweet spot, feeling her growing heat.

Jim picked her up and carried her to the bed and deposited her on it. He ripped her pants off her before joining her. She panted as his hands continued to play with her. He had not yet removed his own clothing before his fingers entered her vagina. She let out a primal scream as she was breached for the first time. Jim’s own concern was that this be as comfortable as possible for her. If Vulcan anatomy was that similar to human, he would hurt her this first time. She panted and moaned beneath him as he continued his assault, never letting up. He buried his face in her neck and sucked, sure a bruise would be there in the morning, not that it mattered as she locked up around his fingers, her juices pouring out over his hand.

T’Nara laid there as he brought his fingers up to his mouth to taste her. That brought a spark to her as she reached up and started tearing his clothes from his frame. He obliged by pulling everything off, including his boots. His manhood needed no help as it stood erect in front of her. He watched as she reached out and touched it curiously. She ran a light hand over its length causing him to moan as he knelt on the bed. She pushed him onto his back and explored. Her hands cupped his balls, kneading them with more curiosity than any real skill. She looked up at him and he nodded, with a faint smile. She put her mouth on his head and he moaned, fighting to keep still. She slowly maneuvered it in and out of her mouth, learning what caused Jim to make more noise. He wouldn’t fit down her throat, but she used her hands to cover what her mouth would not. It was a shock when he tried to tell her he was about to cum. She wouldn’t let up. She pulled her mouth off and licked the shaft like a lollipop, and continually to massage his sack. He lost it when she inserted a finger into his ass. It was enough of a sensation to cause him to cum in her mouth. He watched as she sat back and tasted it, like he had her. She nodded her head before travelling back up his body to give him a kiss.

Jim smiled as she played with him again, bringing him back to life. He was young, and it wasn’t difficult. He was about to suggest that T’Nara lie down, that it might be easier that way, when she straddled him and plunged straight down, he felt the barrier tear as he ran straight through. She cried out in pain and collapsed atop him. Jim wrapped his arms around T’Nara and held her. Whispering that the pain would go away, that this was normal. It wasn’t long before those animal instincts kicked back in and she straightened back up, raising her hips up before pushing them back down. His own hips rose up to meet hers, and he encouraged her to changed position, find a good angle for herself.

It didn’t take long, T’Nara’s breathing soon changed and quickened as Jim realized she found the right spot. Her hands rested on his chest as they learned a rhythm as old as time. Jim sat partially upright and sucked on the other nipple, causing another moan. He felt her tighten around him as she had another orgasm. He was close himself. He lay back down and reached a hand between their bodies, playing with her again. He wanted them to cum together. He felt her shudder around him again as she came. He joined her before she collapsed onto his chest again. She shifted to the side as he slid out of her, curling up onto his side. He found the edge of the blanket and pulled it up around them.

The growl of his stomach woke Jim up. He looked at T’Nara lying there beside him, peacefully sleeping. He finally felt normal, nothing seemed out of whack, at least he didn’t think it did. He left the bed and went into the facilities and found a washcloth. They both needed cleaning up, and he didn’t think that either of them wanted to leave the room. As he rinsed out the cloth, he heard a knock at the door. He opened it enough to find Seruk standing there with a tray. The older man thrust it at him before whispering “Thank you”.

Jim woke T’Nara up gently. She was sore and there were definite bruises on her body. Jim wouldn’t be surprised if he had bruises as well. “It was you,” she whispered.

“It will always be me,” he whispered back. His hand slid across her cheek as he leaned in for another kiss. He suddenly knew what forever meant in that single moment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s probably the wildest sex I’ve ever written!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, how do I follow the wildest sex chapter I’ve ever written? More sex? And a little discussion about where things are going from here? Sounds like a reasonable idea to me! Well, this does open with a much anticipated confrontation. Don’t own them.

  _USS Enterprise_

“Spock,” a voice sounded behind him. A voice he had not heard since they were children. When T’Pring had visited Earth, she had been visiting friends. Not the impression she gave others, but it was what it was.

“T’Pring,” Spock said, turning around.

“Why did you throw Jim off the ship?” she asked. Not what she was trying to say, but the words would not come.

“He questioned my authority, as a civilian…”

“As a civilian, he technically outranks you, Commander,” T’Pring responded. “You had no need to do this.”

“Mr. Kirk challenged my authority,” Spock reiterated.

“Mr. Kirk did no such thing,” she said. “Enough, I need to discuss our bonding.”

“Do you want to break it off for him? Am I losing something else to him?” Spock spat, barely in control of his emotions.

“You are emotionally compromised, Commander,” T’Pring told him. “No, I am aware that you have come to care for another, a human woman named Uhura. She is very intelligent, and from what I can tell, a good fit. She is alive.”

“You have changed,” Spock responded. Remembering the spoiled brat he was bonded to many years before.

“I have found someone as well. Your friend, Stonn, and I have become close,” she said with a shiver.

“Did he make it off Vulcan?” he asked.

She looked at the floor, “I don’t know. I feel, though, that, perhaps we can come to a mutual understanding before the Fires return.”

Spock nodded, “I am certain we will be able to as well.”

“McCoy to Spock, is T’Pring with you?” the whistle and noise of the communicator rang through.

Spock opened the communicator, “She is Doctor, what is it?”

“T’Nara passed out on the observation deck and is here in Sickbay. She’s asking for T’Pring’s presence,” McCoy responded.

T’Pring’s eyebrows knit together as she responded, “I’m on my way.”

The communicator sounded again as T’Pring hurried away, “Commander, there’s been unauthorized access of certain ship’s functions in Engineering.”

“Who did it?” Spock asked.

“It was that civilian, Kirk, and someone else I did not recognize,” came the response from Sulu.

_Vulcan_

T’Nara awoke with that warm, safe feeling that comes from security and love, and being wrapped in the arms of the man she loved. Love was an emotion she hadn’t been prepared to experience. She glanced up and smiled, Vulcans would do that in private. “I thought Vulcans didn’t have emotions,” Jim said with a chuckle.

“You have the nerve to say that after last night?” T’Nara replied, unable to suppress the laugh. She kissed his side, not moving a muscle.

“How long will they leave us alone?” Jim asked with a yawn.

“They customarily give a Pon Farr three days to subside. Mother will only interrupt when she feels we need to eat,” she replied coyly.

“Well, in that case,” Jim rolled over pinning her beneath him. He proceeded to nibble at the corner of her jaw and chin. “Bruises and scratches are expected, right?” he asked.

“Yes, but not broken bones, we’re not Klingons, you know,” she said with a sigh. His hands rubbed across her nipples, creating small, hard nubs which he took gently into his mouth and sucked. His left hand played with her unattended breast, taking his time as he explored her body. Each movement sent tiny jolts of electric pleasure straight to her brain. He took his time as he planted a trail of wet kisses down her abdomen to her womanhood. She gasped as she felt something rough against her clit and realized it was his tongue. Her legs hung loosely over his back as he continued his assault on her nether region. She felt him gently insert his fingers, one-by-one, not wanting to make her even more sore than she already was, yet, knowing she would not tell him to stop.

T’Nara’s hands travelled to her breasts as she played with them. Jim’s tongue and other parts were doing strange things to her anatomy, and she was overwhelmed with the pleasure he was causing. She soon came, causing him to lick up her juices. He came back up and pressed a kiss into her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as he thrust his manhood back inside her, causing her to shiver. He chuckled as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, trying to get him to go deeper.

Jim pushed, harder and deeper, pulling the occasional whimper along with the moans. She held on tight, creating long scratches down his back that he knew he wouldn’t have to explain. Finally, he felt her shiver and moan as she came around him. She was astonished that he was still hard as the orgasm finished its effects. He pulled out and had her get on her hands and knees and turned away from him on the bed in front of him. She felt him reach under and play with her clit before pushing back into her. He kissed her back before rising back up and grasping her hips and pulling out again. She moaned with every thrust. Each new position was a revelation to lust-ridden mind as he continued his assault on her willing person. Finally, with one final thrust, he was shooting his own juice back into her waiting hole. They both collapsed beside each other on their stomachs. Finally, Jim shifted over to lying on his back, closing his eyes with the tiredness of their exertions. T’Nara sat up, finally admiring him in his naked glory. He was glorious in her eyes with his golden brown hair covering his torso lightly. The hair around his genitals was slightly darker, but that wasn’t unexpected. What was unexpected was that he was still wearing his socks. She giggled, “Your still wearing socks.”

Jim raised a clad foot and looked at it, “Wasn’t exactly a priority in getting undressed last night.” She reached down to pull off a sock and found something very interesting, his feet were ticklish. “Stop that,” he said, trying to interrupt her fun. She smiled again as he reached up and traced her mouth with his fingers, “I wish I could see this in public.”

“This smile is all for you,” she said, pressing another kiss into his mouth. Their tongues once again danced before the world and universe at large decided to intrude. T’Nara’s PADD pinged at her. “Oh, great,” she groaned.

Jim sat up, “What is it?”

“Homework for the days we’ll miss,” she said.

Jim kissed her bare shoulder, “We’ll do it together.”

“Always,” she replied.

_USS Enterprise_

T’Nara waited with T’Pring at her side. McCoy had left, saying he needed to check on something, on the bridge of all places. The two women looked at each other, “I know you had embryos implanted before Vulcan was destroyed,” T’Pring said quietly.

T’Nara nodded, “Yes, it was to be our bonding gift to each other if successful. The scientists at the VSA said they’d been successful in engineering four embryos. We hope we implanted two. The other two are probably gone.” T’Pring nodded as Sickbay’s doors reopened disgorging three people, Jim, McCoy, and Stonn. T’Pring dropped all pretense of dignity and ran to him, whispering to him urgently. He nodded.

Jim walked swiftly over to T’Nara and wrapped her in a gentle hug, “How are you feeling? What happened,” he asked.

“She fainted,” McCoy answered. He stuck out a hand, “Dr. Leonard McCoy, Ship’s Chief Medical Officer.”

“Jim Kirk,” Jim said, finally returning the handshake. “Forgive me, I’ve been away from Earth and most humans for eight years, I’m a little rusty in greeting my own kind.”

McCoy smiled briefly, “T’Nara, you are pregnant. Although, I’m not sure about these readings, it’s almost as if…”

“They baby is half human, Doctor McCoy,” T’Nara said with a nod.

“Babies, Madam, you’re having twins.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and T’Nara wake up having to deal with the rest of the world, and what about that Sehlat that just showed up out of nowhere? History is fannon, pre-“Enterprise”. Don’t own them.

Jim and T’Nara both awakened to the cold, cruel world that said they had to emerge from their isolation today. Not that either said anything immediately. Jim just awoke to the feeling of warm wet lips surrounding his highly aroused cock. They were both sensitive down there and just about anything having to do with T’Nara set him off. He smiled down at her as she took him deeper than she had before. She was convinced that, with practice, she could get the whole thing down her throat. Jim was convinced that she was right.

T’Nara wasn’t wasting any time, as soon as he was ready, she climbed on board and impaled herself with one swift move. He grasped her buttocks, encouraging her more as she started to move. She obliged, both knowing that today, they’d have to leave this room. He bucked beneath her as she continued having sex with him. Finally, as their orgasms hit them, she leaned down and left one last bruise with her teeth on his neck, just above the collar for all to see.

“There, now they’ll know that you’re mine,” she said.

“Like they wouldn’t be able to figure it out?” Jim asked with a laugh. “T’Nara, should we have some sort of, I don’t know, ceremony?”

T’Nara looked up at him, her eyes serious, “Jim, are you asking me to bond with you?”

Jim looked at her, “Yes, I am. I know it may be a little soon…”

“Jim, normally Vulcans are bonded at the age of seven having never met. We’ve at least done that. Let’s take a little time to think about it, although, we seem to be a bit on the bonded side anyway,” she grinned as Jim chuckled. “I should meet your family, anyway.”

“There’s only one person in my family I’d want you to meet, and that’s my brother Sam. We’re headed on another trip to Earth in a couple of weeks, maybe I could arrange for him to meet us for lunch. He’s attending UCLA to become a Botanist.”

They both reluctantly got up as Jim looked at his garments, “These are definitely going to need some repair.” T’Nara smiled. Amanda, sometime during the past few days, had sent over more clothes, including socks, for Jim, along with a question regarding a Sehlat that had just shown up. Jim didn’t have a clue as he headed for the breakfast table.

Seruk and T’Sara both regarded them for a long moment as both blushed before starting to eat. Seruk and T’Sara looked at each other and nodded, “You are welcome here anytime, Jim,” Seruk finally told them. Jim somehow turned a brighter shade of red. Jim walked out the door with one last kiss inside from T’Nara, and he whistled. The noise startled several Vulcans who passed by, unused to the sound. Others nodded as they went on their way.

Jim entered Sarek’s house with a smile on his face. Geoff turned and looked at him as he was heading out the door himself, “Tell me about it when we get home tonight.” Jim just smiled back at his friend as he continued into the house.

“So, you were successful?” Amanda asked as Sarek nodded at his aide.

“It was intense,” Jim responded.

“The first time usually is,” Sarek responded. “Pon Farr is not something that can be explained, and few humans will ever experience its turbulence. I’ve left some work for you on your desk, after you get back from the Academy.”

Jim nodded as he returned to his room to retrieve materials he needed for school, and tripped head first over the bulk lying in his doorway. Immediately, the animal was atop him, growling and drooling over him, but otherwise, causing no harm. Jim stared at this bear sized animal that would have resembled a saber-toothed cat if those had still existed, hovering over him. Jim tentatively reached up a hand and touched the animal. It promptly licked his face, a big, wet, slobbery kiss that made the last three days seem surreal. He heard Amanda laugh, “He’s yours, now. Wild Sehlat’s choose their…people, not the other way around, and this one definitely didn’t come from a kennel.”

Jim looked down at the pertinent area to discover that it was a she. “Well, I’ll name her Tesla,” he announced.

“Good,” Amanda told him. “Now, have a good day,” she said. Amanda laughed as he wriggled out from under Teela and heading back into the room.

He gathered his supplies and knelt down in front of the large animal, “Be a good girl for Amanda, Teela. I’ll be back later.” Tesla seemed to understand as she walked into his room and slumped down next to his bed. The next fun part was explaining what happened that morning to T’Nara.

“A wild Sehlat, is Amanda sure?” she asked.

“Sarek is. There were no kennel markings on her that suggested otherwise,” Jim remarked. “I’m sorry you’re going to have to share me with another woman.”

T’Nara gave him a sideways glance, “I think I can live with this one. Tesla’s not a girl’s name,” she pointed out.

“You’re right, Nicola Tesla, however, is one of my idols. He was a genius, if slightly mad. To those who don’t know, Tesla sounds slightly female,” he added.

“The ‘a’ at the end?” she asked. He nodded as they headed into the Academy and separated as they headed off to their respective classrooms.

The professor, Segrun, nodded at him, “Good of you to join us, Mr. Kirk.”

Jim nodded back, his was a statement of fact, not passing of judgment. Jim sighed as he slid into his seat, today’s topic was Federation ethics. Typically for an ethics class, the professor picked an edgy, recent subject, Tarsus IV for example. Jim was prepared for the possibility, but the professor was surprising. This time it focused on a little more distant subject: First Contact with the Romulans and the resultant truce and proclamation. “The Federation and its allies will not interfere with a developing civilization. It will not interact with such civilizations in a way to change or alter its ultimate fate,” aka The Prime Directive.

First actual contact with Romulans occurred with their warships around their homeworld. The Federation Starship approached the planet, whose inhabitants were spacefaring, but mostly planet-bound in spite of their origins, but did not actually make contact. Satellites had been put around Romulus to detect any outsiders. Romulans shot at the ship and the ship took serious damage. Unfortunately, enough damage so that the surviving crew had to take shuttles back to Federation Space.

It didn’t take that long. The Romulans salvaged the ship, and its warp drive. They reverse engineered it and built ships around it. The results were hard to ignore, large, green ships with a predatory bird painted on the bottom. The “Birds-of-Prey”, as the ships came to be known, soon started conquering vast swaths of intergalactic space.

The Federation was perplexed by this sudden move by a previously unknown race tried to find out what happened. The report of the Federation Starship’s survivors finally crossed an Admiral’s desk, and they sent out ships to try to put an end to the terror being wreaked across that area of space. The result was war, and spectacularly so. The Vulcans admitted that the Romulans were close relatives, but that’s where it ended. They were savage, cunning, and willing to stop at nothing to obtain their goals: more territory.

The undeclared war ended in a truce and many fatalities on both sides. The large area known as the Romulan Neutrals Zone separated the two borders. Pirates and other unsavory characters plied their trade within the Neutral Zone and both Federation and Romulan ships patrolled the area to keep each other, and others who weren’t welcome out.

That was the long and the short of it. “Here’s your assignment,” Segrun announced. “Analyze the war and the Prime Directive. Write me a paper on its strengths and weaknesses, and what you would have done differently. You may have to defend your position later, so be VERY logical.” Jim blew out a breath, this could have been MUCH worse.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We travel back to Earth, and learn something about Tesla, and her fate. Don’t own them.

_Another Vulcan Ship--Surak_

“Are you sure we have adequate space to hold them?” one Vulcan asked.

“Do we have any choice?” another responded. “Some of these are attached to Vulcans. They will be relieved to know they made it off,” he said, gesturing toward the animals.

Moments before the Surak had taken off for a flight for survival, thirty Sehlats scampered on board. Ten were from a local kennel, the other twenty appeared to be wild. One, a young female, had a long scar over her right shoulder. She shook her head and settled down, they had taken up a corner of a small cargo bay on the starboard side. It’s where they would have put them if they had thought about it anyway.

“No, we will take them with us, and do what we can when we establish a new home,” the first Vulcan said, running a hand over the Sehlat with the scarred shoulder. She nuzzled the hand in apparent gratitude and settled down.

_Vulcan_

Jim and T’Nara settled on the ground next to Tesla. The young Sehlat, and she was apparently young at just under a Vulcan Year, whuffed her way toward the pair. She nuzzled Jim’s hand before turning to study T’Nara. T’Nara held her breath as hot air blew across her face. Apparently satisfied with her examination, Tesla lay down in both their laps. “Oof,” Jim said. “I should be getting used to this. She’s worse than Labrador Retrievers.” He then had to explain that Labs were large dogs who thought they were lap dogs.

T’Nara reached out and traced a scar above Tesla’s shoulder, “I wonder where she received this.”

“A fight, probably, with another Sehlat. Sarek confirmed she’s a wild one, no one’s found a kennel mark, and ‘tame’ Sehlats don’t have this many scars, especially this young,” Jim said.

T’Nara ran a hand down Tesla’s back. Sehlat’s chose their people, and that a wild one chose a human…she shook her head in wonder. Sarek and Amanda passed through the garden they were sitting in, or being sat on in, “We have not had a Sehlat in the house since Spock’s friend died five years ago,” Sarek said.

“So, you do know something about them,” Jim said.

“Oh, yes, we have a really good idea how to treat them,” Amanda replied. “We’ll leave you two alone.”

Jim leaned over and kissed T’Nara after they departed. She returned the kiss with fervor before asking, “What should I bring to Earth?”

“Well, San Francisco is colder than Betazed, so I suggest you find articles of clothing called jackets and sweaters. Think of how cold it gets here at night, you’ll have a pretty good idea then,” Jim replied. He kissed her again, marveling at the idea that this could be so nice, and with just one person. Tesla didn’t move, not even when two voices, one belonging to Geoff and the other someone Jim didn’t recognize, entered the garden.

“I see what you’re saying, Stonn, about Kohlinar, but that sounds like a rather drastic step,” Geoff told the unseen occupant.

The two men rounded the corner and saw the trio on the ground, Geoff smothered a laugh. The Vulcan, Stonn, looked at them curiously. The man had blue eyes, “I see Tesla’s taken a liking to you as well,” Geoff told T’Nara.

“Does she like you?” T’Nara asked.

“Yes, but she hasn’t tried to smush me,” Geoff said. “Jim, T’Nara, this is Stonn. He’s a student on Mt. Gol. My class went there today.”

“Are you a disciple of the Kohlinar?” T’Nara asked.

“No,” Stonn replied, “I am a student in the Halls of Thought. I am more interested in the Disciplines of the Priests of Mt. Seleya.”

“So you start on Mt. Gol?” Jim asked.

“It does not seem logical, granted, but to learn the necessary disciplines, you must learn how to control your emotions even more strictly.” Stonn sat on the ground and presented the palm of his hand to Tesla. Tesla sniffed it for a moment, then nuzzled it in acceptance. “An exceptional animal, Mr. Kirk, she came to you?”

“Call me Jim, please, and yes, she found me, but now, my legs are falling asleep,” he groaned, nudging Tesla off his legs. She complied, standing straight up and nearly knocking Geoff over. He laughed good-naturedly as Jim and T’Nara swayed to their feet.

“Have fun, you two,” Geoff said with a wink as they ambled off toward Jim’s room. Stonn looked at him curiously, “She had her first Pon Farr last week. They’re working off the hormones.” Stonn didn’t say another word.

T’Pring hurried into the back garden, clearly looking for Jim, “Geoff, have you seen…oh, hello.”

“Jim and T’Nara are off doing their own thing,” Geoff responded amicably. “T’Pring, this is Stonn from Mt. Gol. Stonn, this is T’Pring,” Geoff watched them for a moment, “I think this is a good time to go study.”

T’Nara lay on Jim’s narrow bed, one leg hanging over the side as he hovered over her. She moaned as his dick slowly entered her. They were given three days, but in the week since her hormones were supposed to have returned to normal, they’d been humping like rabbits. Neither really minded, and her parents and Amanda and Sarek had been understanding, as long as they kept the noise down. She felt his every move as he moved in and out of her, brushing her sweet spot with every move. Her nipples stood out as he leaned down to suck on them, this sent more electric pulses deep within her brain as she responded to him. He could feel her clenching around his cock, and knew she was close. He loved watching her go over the edge. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she let out a deep shuddering moan as he stopped moving.

T’Nara opened her eyes, he was still hard inside her. He watched her sit up and knew what she wanted. They changed places, this time with his back propped up against the wall. He smiled, taking one of her hands as she used the other to guide him back into her cunt. She leaned forward and kissed him. Their tongues tangling as they continued to move together. T’Nara sighed as they climaxed together. She felt him spurt his seed deep within her and genuinely wished that this was all they had to do to have children. She snuggled up to his chest, still enjoying the feeling of him deep inside of her. This was her second favorite thing to do with Jim, honestly, kissing was her favorite. “We leave for Earth tomorrow,” she finally said.

“Yeah, they moved the timetable up a week,” Jim replied, running a hand over her bare arm. Her senses tingled at the touch. “I’m looking forward to you meeting Sam. He responded to my calls, telling me that he’s eager to meet you.”

“I’m eager to meet him, too,” she replied looking up into his blue eyes. He responded with a kiss.

Soon, they dressed, and Jim picked up an instrument case. One of their encounters had occurred in a music room where they had broken a piano bench. Vulcans, for all their apparent emotionless, were music lovers, and the piano fascinated them. They were also interested in other instruments, and had managed to master most orchestral instruments except a specific few, the wind instruments, specifically, flutes and their relatives. Jim admitted, he played the flute, and the Orchestra Director pounced upon it, getting him to come to one of the rehearsals with the flute he’d brought from Earth. Even Geoff didn’t know he had the instrument.

T’Nara went with Jim to the rehearsal area and the Vulcans in the room watched with interest as he approached a music stand and set sheet music upon it. The Director seemed to almost be rubbing his hands together in glee as Jim opened the case and slowly put the flute together. Eyebrows raised as he started to warm up on the instrument that he had not played since coming to Vulcan. Finally, satisfied, Jim started to play the music on the stand. It was “Ode to Joy”.

A sigh seemed to breathe through the room as Jim finished the piece. “So, that’s what it’s actually supposed to sound like,” a voice could be heard.

“Yes, Turink, that’s what a flute is supposed to sound like,” Torit, the director told him. “We’re lucky Mr. Kirk is here and could demonstrate for us this instrument. If you would please, Mr. Kirk.” He moved through several pieces, including one from a movie soundtrack that was haunting.

“That last one was from a twentieth century movie called ‘Schindler’s List’. It was actually written for the Cello, but was adapted by a friend for the flute,” Jim told them. “This type of instrument, in fact, most instruments on Earth were made to stir emotions. ‘Ode to Joy’ was just that, something to make someone joyful and happy.”

“This ‘Schindler’s List, it was a sad melody, was it not?” a woman asked.

“Yes, it was. It was about a time in Earth’s history that was most tragic, especially since many good people let it happen. Oscar Schindler was one of those who tried to shine a light in very dark days,” Jim responded. He spent most of the next hour answering questions before finally leaving the room and the Vulcans who were now playing with more vigor. The next day, they set off for Earth, and a date with Jim’s brother, Sam.

_Surak_

Tesla settled down and waited. Her person was out there, somewhere. She knew he survived. All she had to do was wait.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s get back to the Enterprise shall we? And let’s meet Sam, and his newest girlfriend, Aurelan. Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

“I married your mother because I loved her,” Sarek admitted. The emotional statement startled Spock who stared at the transporter pad where she should have materialized.

“She loved me,” Spock said. It was almost a plea for affirmation as he looked at his father. Sarek looked back at Spock.

“Yes, she did, very much,” another voice intruded.

Sarek looked up, unsurprised to see his aide standing there. Spock looked discouraged. “You,” he said, “you would have taken my place.”

“No, Spock, I could never have done that,” Jim said. “Your jealousy is unfounded. I wasn’t the only human guest in her house so many years ago, Spock, so was Dr. M’Benga, and she made us both feel welcome. She made me feel what a Mother should make a son feel like, and I will be forever grateful to her for that.”

Sarek quietly left the room, certain these two would not fight again. “Did she ever speak of me?” Spock finally asked.

“With pride, and love, in every way that I wish my Mother would have spoken of me. You have no idea how lucky you are and were. When I went to San Francisco for that class trip, the one where we first met if briefly, she told me with great joy about you and that she hoped we would meet.”

Spock shook his head in denial, then briefly remembered a group of students, mostly Vulcan, standing on the campus green at Starfleet Academy, looking around, Captain Christopher Pike as their guide. Spock nodded his head, “I remember.”

“Now, we have business left to attend to, a little Romulan guy named Nero, remember? Let’s take care of business,” Jim said, not touching Spock. Spock nodded as they headed for the bridge.

_Vulcan_

“Now, when you get to San Francisco,” Amanda was telling him, “you may run into a Vulcan cadet at the Academy, his name is Spock. Just tell him you know his mother, Amanda.” Amanda fussed with Jim’s luggage as he was about to depart.

Jim grinned down at the woman, “Amanda, it will be fine, I promise. Just take care of Tesla for me, okay?”

Amanda smiled up at Jim, “I will. Spock is my son, and I will always be his mother. He chose his own path, and I’m sure he’s satisfied with it.”

Jim knew what she meant, “If I encounter him, and I will be polite.”

“And give him my love,” Amanda said. Jim choked before Amanda handed him an envelope, “We’ve gotten too far away from the actual written word. Give this to him, please.”

“I will do my best,” Jim said before kissing her on the cheek. He left the house without another word luggage in hand. He reached the shuttleport and met up with his class and boarded a shuttle headed for the USS Antares. An actual Federation Starship, the Antares was a medium sized battle cruiser that just happened to be passing through the Vulcan system on its way back to Earth for maintenance and upgrades.

“Welcome to the Antares,” an older man with Commander’s stripes greeted them. “I am Commander Christopher Pike, and I will be your guide for the next few weeks. I’m heading off for a promotion to Captain, and to head up the Academy for the next few years.”

“Thank you, Commander,” T’Prin, another of Jim’s teachers, greeted him. “Will you take us to our quarters so we may rest?”

Pike smiled, “I’ll be more than happy to, this way. He led them to Deck 12 and waved them toward some rooms, “There are twenty rooms available for your use as there are twenty of you. You may make your own sleeping arrangements as you wish.” Jim grinned back at the amiable Starfleet officer. Jim started to follow T’Nara into one door when he heard his name called, “Jim Kirk, is that really you?” Jim turned to look at Pike, “I would never have guessed it. You almost look…Vulcan in those clothes.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Chris,” Jim responded. “How are you?”

“I hear you’re Sarek’s aide,” Chris responded.

“Yeah, organized his schedule so well, he didn’t have much choice. Captain, huh?” Jim asked.

“Yeah, in charge of cadets and recruitment. Hey, you’ll be out of the Academy in four year, how about coming to Starfleet?” he asked.

Jim looked at him, and then at the door, “I don’t know, I’m tied up in a few things right now. Some of them are likely to be long term. And, I have this Sehlat I named Tesla.”

Chris gaped, “A sehlat, really?”

“Yeah, she chose me, oddly enough. Look, I’m tired, and this will be an interesting trip. Can we catch up later?” Jim asked.

Chris nodded and Jim turned and entered the quarters he’d chosen. Then, Chris remembered that a Vulcan woman had gone in there before him. Chris shook his head, young love. He had absolutely no doubt that it was love.

The trip to Earth was quick, and uneventful. They settled at the Vulcan Embassy, which was currently unoccupied as Sarek was on Vulcan. A human attaché showed them to their rooms. Afterwards, the day was theirs. Many wandered around the Embassy, some went out the gates, Jim and T’Nara headed for a rendezvous with Sam and Aurelan.

They entered the Italian restaurant that promised vegetarian dishes, and T’Nara spotted Sam before Jim did. Sam’s hair was a shade darker, he was shade shorter, and his eyes were green, but it was obvious they were brothers. Beside him sat a pretty brunette with intelligent eyes. “Jim!” she heard called.

Jim smiled as he saw his brother. Sam stood and embraced Jim with a huge, infectious smile. “Good to see you brother,” Sam said. He nodded to T’Nara, “You must be T’Nara. This is Aurelan,” Sam said, waving at the brunette.

Aurelan gave them a genuine smile, Jim instantly liked her, “It’s good to finally meet you, Jim. And you, T’Nara. I’ve never met a Vulcan.

T’Nara nodded, “It’s good to meet you as well, Aurelan, Sam. Jim has told me much about you.”

The waiter arrived and Jim and T’Nara ordered tea. Jim ordered spaghetti and meatballs. T’Nara ordered a pasta with what promised to be a vegetarian friendly sauce. Sam and Aurelan talked. Sam told her that he was studying Botany and Aurelan was studying Chemistry at a nearby University. “Nothing as grand as the Vulcan Science Academy, though,” Sam told him. “Did you hear Frank died?” Sam asked.

Jim stared at him, “How?”

“Drunken barroom brawl, from what I heard. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” Sam responded. Grandfather Tiberius has moved your stuff over to the old farmhouse for safe keeping. Jim nodded, Tiberius was a good soul. He was just too old to keep track of the grandkids.

After dinner they took a stroll down to the beach. It was too cold for swimming, and Sam slung an arm around Aurelan, pulling her close. Jim pulled off his jacket and gave it to T’Nara who had started to shiver. The day had turned into night and the moon shone down on the lovers walking on the beach. Jim turned to T’Nara and she faced him. He kissed her tenderly, not with the frenetic need they had both faced in the past few weeks. “I love you, T’Nara.”

“I love you too Jim,” she responded. “I don’t know how things will shape up in the next seven years, but if we feel the same way again after the next time, let’s go to Mount Seleya.”

“Agreed,” Jim said as he wrapped his arms around her. They looked over to see Sam and Aurelan echoing their moment. The full moon reflecting off the calm ocean.

_Enterprise_

The crew was arguing amongst themselves as how to go about saving Earth. There was no clear cut leader, and finally Jim stepped in. The man who had appeared with Jim from Delta Vega was using a towel to clean out his ears. The red engineering shirt looked good on him. Jim had managed to get back into his Vulcan clothing. Jim listened as many options were presented.

Finally the young Russian came up with the idea about coming in from behind Saturn. “Aye, that might work,” Scotty finally chimed in.

“Wait a minute, kid, how old are you?” McCoy asked. Jim gave him an amused look. Eight years on Vulcan had taught him not to judge by age.

“Sewenteen, sir,” Chekov piped in.

“Oh, great, he’s seventeen,” McCoy muttered. “I’m suddenly beginning to feel like when my ex-wife took everything but my bones.”

“Mr. Chekov is correct,” Spock spoke up. He laid out a plan that had him beaming over to Nero’s ship to get Pike back and destroy Nero’s ship.”

“I’m going with you,” Jim told him.

“You are a civilian, I cannot allow you to do that,” Spock told him.

“And you cannot order me not to,” Jim told him. “Besides, Vulcan is gone, Earth is the only home we both have left now. Let’s give Nero hell.” Spock raised an eyebrow. This was going to be an interesting ride.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Earth. I need to minimize my trips back and forth to the Enterprise. Much as I love her, the story will end in the “present”. Just keep telling yourself that Starsinger. Don’t own them.

Jim woke up very comfortably, and a combination of hot and cold. He and T’Nara had fallen asleep late the night before, and despite the attempts of the attaché, Charles Geiger, to keep the residence at Vulcan norm, T’Nara apparently thought it was cold. She not only hogged all the covers, she wore three pairs of flannel pajamas, two pairs of socks, and all of the blankets before snuggling up to Jim. T’Nara was not a snuggler. Charles was prepared for his guests though, he had thoroughly stocked the hallway closet with a lot of blankets. When Jim ventured to the bathroom at 1 am, they were all gone. Jim shrugged, T’Nara’s higher body temperature meant he was plenty warm, even if he couldn’t actually see her. She had buried herself under the covers sometime during the night.

Jim extracted himself from the bed and grabbed some of his Earth clothes to go take a shower. An honest to goodness shower with real water. There were definite advantages to living on a water world. He ran into T’Prin on the way to the shower. She was wrapped up in a jacket, “How can you stand it being so cold?” she asked.

“This?” Jim asked. “This isn’t cold. It’s barely 14°C out there. Walking home knee deep in snow, that’s cold!”

T’Prin stared at him, “Snow? You actually dealt with snow?”

“I’m from Iowa, it gets cold there. It’s called winter, I’m sure you’ve heard of it,” Jim finished before opening the door.

Jim barely heard her mutter, “This isn’t winter?” before closing the door behind him. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was barely fall.

The group met down in the kitchen where a cook served them an appropriate breakfast. Everyone, even Jim, wore jackets. Jim also wore a knit cap Amanda had given to him and inside his jacket he carried a letter from Amanda to Spock if he encountered the Vulcan. He was fairly certain that he could drop it off somewhere to be delivered if he didn’t.

A car picked them up. Today they were touring Starfleet Academy and Federation Headquarters. It was a crisp and surprisingly clear Saturday morning in San Francisco as the car dropped them off in front of the Commandant’s building on campus. Instead of an aide standing there to escort them, Captain Pike stood there waiting for them. “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Starfleet Academy!” he said to them, giving them a charming smile. Only Jim returned the smile. The rest stood there shivering. “Okay, let’s go inside and we’ll get you something hot to drink, like hot chocolate.” Pike turned to go inside. Jim hurried up to him, speaking in a low, intense manner. Chris looked at him startled, “Well, that explains what happened to Cadet Spock last year. Okay, we’ll go with hot tea, decaffeinated.”

T’Prin looked most relieved while everyone else looked puzzled. Pike, naturally started with his office, making sure hot beverages were served. “As you can tell, this is the Academy itself, at least the staff part. Cadets come through these hallowed halls and we try our best to teach them what they’ll need to be a functioning officer within Starfleet. Yes, Ma’am?” he asked as T’Pring raised a hand.

“Are all Starfleet personnel officers?” she asked.

“No, most are actually enlisted. They still receive an education, it’s just much shorter. They go into a ‘boot camp’ to get them in shape for the physical side of their jobs. That lasts about six weeks. Then, they have an actual educational section, depending on what their aptitude tests are, and that lasts three to six months. It’s very similar to the American system that was used up until the nuclear war of the late 21st century.” Chris smiled again as they finished their drinks, “Now, if you’ll follow me.”

Chris showed them the dormitories, the classrooms for different disciplines, the shuttle simulator, the transporter, the shuttle bay, the cafeteria and various other domestic places, including an obstacle course, that the cadets used. They were standing on the green ready to head for Federation Headquarters when a Vulcan in Cadet reds walked toward them. “Spock,” Jim heard T’Pring say. T’Pring moved behind Jim, almost as if she were afraid of confronting him. Spock didn’t even to notice as he started to pass the group.

Jim stepped forward, “Excuse me, are you Spock?” The Vulcan stopped as if noticing the group for the first time. He nodded. “My name is Jim Kirk, I’m staying with your parents on Vulcan.” Spock drew back, surprised by Kirk’s manner. Jim extended an envelope to him, “Your mother, Amanda, asked me to give this to you.”

Spock looked back at the human who made no move to touch him, “Thank you, Mr. Kirk.” He nodded his head and left. Jim turned back to the group as they waited for him.

“What did you give him?” Pike finally asked.

“It was a letter from his mother, Amanda Grayson,” Jim replied.

Pike nodded before they headed into the next building, “You’re lucky, the Council isn’t in session, so we’ll be able to see the council room.” The room was long and fairly wide. Two large boxes with seat sat on both sides of the room from the door, while a dais with a platform stood front and center at the other end. The emblem of the Federation behind it. A woman stood behind it, organizing some papers. She looked up and smiled.

“Hi, I’m Celia Dickinson, I’m the current Federation President, welcome!” she motioned them to sit in one of the boxes. “I know you’ve all heard about what goes on in this room, and now you’ve actually seen it. While debates and votes are held here, much of the actual politicking takes place outside. We each have offices here, and many take advantage of being able to get much of our work taken care of before we reach these chambers.” She went on to explain what generally happened during each meeting. Then more questions were asked by the students.

“The next several days you’ll be meeting with various ambassadors and getting a feel for what they do. I wish you good fortune in your chosen professions,” she left them with those words.

The group filed out, back into the cold as Jim shook his head. He suddenly heard his name being called, “Jimmy!”

Jim came face-to-face with an old “friend”, Seamus Finnegan. He was not only not prepared, but not exactly happy as the two rivals squared off once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have plans for Mr. Finnegan and the Enterprise. Don’t worry, Jim will do what he does best!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Finnegan, some of you remember him from the Original Series. That’s good for me, bad for Fenny. Minecraft, Jim won’t be doing what you suggested, but, by the time we’re said and done, Spock might have thoughts along those lines just before he goes after Khan! lol Don’t own them.

Years later when asked about Seamus Finnegan, Spock would tell the Admiralty something that would not bear repeating. Admiral Archer later admitted Spock told them that he deserved to be drop kicked out an airlock into Klingon space with only a rubber Tribble for protection.* Scotty was far less complimentary. In the year between Nero and Khan, Jim told them that Finnegan was arrogant, brash, and a good brawler, but not terribly reliable. Everything he said was unfortunately all too true. He also forgot to mention that he and Finnegan hated each other, and not in a brotherly way.

They met at Iowa State, and there the “friendship” began. There was always something about the man Jim called Fenny. That was after Fenny started calling him Jimmy, which Jim hated. They were roommates their first year, and Jim was considerably younger than Fenny. While Jim was studying starship design and mechanical engineering, Fenny seemed to be studying basket-weaving and women. Fenny went bar-hopping, Jim was too young.

Fenny hated that Jim was young and in college, obviously smarter than he. Jim hated the Irishman’s loud brashness. He’d come home drunk in the middle of the night, singing, badly, and wake Jim up. Jim kept reporting him, and his behavior nearly had him expelled three times during his first year. Jim got straight A’s, Fenny barely passed.

While the next three years passed quietly for Jim, Fenny moved onto other roommates, and so did Jim, Fenny seemed to get into more and more trouble. He always blamed it on Jim even when Jim was nowhere around. He broke his leg skiing off a cliff in Colorado and blamed it on Jim while Jim was visiting friends in Russia. Four years after meeting and just before graduation, Jim and Fenny took the same entrance exam. Jim passed, and Fenny didn’t. It didn’t matter that there was only one person out of thirty who passed the exam, it was that Jim was the one who did. That incensed Fenny into full-blown malevolent hatred that bordered on obsession. Jim graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Starship design and Engineering, and Fenny barely skated by with one in Business. Jim went to Vulcan, and Fenny was in San Francisco.

“Seamus,” Jim replied with a smile. It was a fake smile, all of the ones T’Nara had seen Jim use up until this point had been real, the smile was plastered, Jim’s blue eyes were cold, “what are you doing here? You’re not in Starfleet.” It wasn’t a question, Fenny was wearing a business suit, not Starfleet greys or cadet reds.

“No, after college I went to work for a friend of my Uncle Joseph’s. He works in trade,” Fenny replied.

“What’s his name?” Jim asked. “Maybe I’ve heard of him.”

“Harcourt Fenton Mudd,” Fenny replied. “Harry Mudd for short, he’s a small trader, good at what he does.”

“Can’t say I’ve heard of him,” Jim replied.

“Not surprised, he’s a small trader. Deals in rare items. I’m in charge of bookkeeping,” Fenny added. “So, you’re here with Vulcans!” Fenny smiled an equally false smile.

“Yes, we’re taking a field trip to visit Federation Headquarters,” he gestured to the group. His classmates pretended to be holding private conversations amongst themselves, too polite to stare. T’Pring and T’Nara were the only ones who openly watched this whole scenario unfold.

“I HEARD you’d been accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy, Jimmy. I was, of course, offered a position, but this offer came from Uncle Joseph and I couldn’t possibly pass it up,” Fenny said. T’Nara nearly choked on the blatant lie. “Well, I must run, good-bye Jimmy. Maybe we’ll be seeing each other again after I get into Starfleet Academy!” he waved at the group as his feet carried him down the hill and out of sight.

“What was that all about?” T’Nara finally asked.

“I have no idea,” Jim replied. “Knowing Finnegan, it was all to his benefit.”

Late that night in the Vulcan Embassy, Jim went to the kitchen for a snack. He heard a noise, and just as he turned to see who was there, he was attacked. A knife was pulled out and was plunged into his chest. Lying on the floor, staring at the hilt sticking out of his own body, he could only think of how his death would affect T’Nara. He didn’t wait long as a woman entered the kitchen. It was T’Pring, who started immediately yelling for help. He felt her hands on his chest, attempting to stop the bleeding. The last thing he remembered was hearing Geiger calling for medical assistance and T’Nara’s warm hands on his face, telling him to hang on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Paraphrased this from a line in “Fortunate Sons” by Beamirang. Good story, great line!
> 
> Yes, that Harcourt Fenton Mudd. Infamous “trader” (read pirate here) of elicit goods ranging from androids who look like his wife Stella to women.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim’s stabbing takes an unexpected turn. Don’t own them.

_Vulcan_

“Amanda,” Sarek said quietly, “we need to leave for Earth.” Geoff’s head snapped around to look at them.

“Is it Spock?” Amanda asked.

“No, it’s Jim. He was stabbed at the Vulcan Embassy late last night. His condition is unknown. Mr. Geiger called earlier to let me know,” Sarek glanced at Geoff.

Geoff swallowed, “I should stay here. Hold down the fort, so to speak. I also need to continue my studies. Will you keep me informed?”

“Of course,” Amanda replied, glancing at Tesla. Sarek and Amanda boarded a private transport headed for Earth, and any ideas they may have had of leaving Tesla behind were immediately banished as she pushed her way aboard and settled in the main cabin. Amanda approached her and ran a gentle hand over the animal, “Loyal friend to the end.”

_Earth_

Sam looked at his brother, sleeping peacefully after several hours of surgery. He was on pain medications, but his oxygen was supplemental, he didn’t need help breathing. T’Nara slept restlessly beside him in a reclining chair. Jim was lucky. His assailant hadn’t known human anatomy very well, or was expecting a Vulcan. Jim would have been dead on the kitchen floor if he had been Vulcan. The knife had gone in where Jim’s liver was, not his heart.

“Are you sure it wasn’t Finnegan?” Sam finally asked.

The police officer nodded, “He was in a police drunk tank three hours before the attack occurred and was only released an hour ago. We’ll keep looking,” the officer assured him before leaving.

Aurelan entered carrying coffee, “If it wasn’t Finnegan, who was it?”

“It could have been anyone,” a new voice entered the room. They turned to find Captain Pike standing there, “Hello, Sam.”

“Hey, Chris,” Sam responded. “Who are the likely suspects?”

“Well, there are several organizations. From those who feel that they need to ‘free Earth from the evils of the Federation’ to isolationists who think that we should return to Earth and have the aliens go away and leave us alone for various reasons,” Chris said, his eyes locked on Jim’s face.

“You don’t think that’s it,” Sam said.

Chris shook his head, but before he could answer Jim did, “He was Vulcan.”

“Vulcan?!” came the disbelieving words from several mouths.

“He was shorter than I am, and had pointed ears,” Jim reached down and touched the incision. “That hurts,” he muttered before moving his hand away.

“That seems highly unlikely,” Chris replied. “I’ll go over the security footage myself. Ambassador Sarek will not be pleased about this.”

“He already knows. Mr. Geiger called him soon after the attack,” Sam replied. “He’s on his way with a private transport for Jim and his classmates.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Jim mumbled. The drugs were kicking back in as he waved irritably at his brother. “Best brother I have,” Jim said.

“Only brother you have,” Sam said with a grin. “Get well, Jim, need you to be best man at our wedding next June.”

“Wedding?” Jim slurred, eyes barely open.

“Yeah, we’ll send you an invitation,” Sam said kissing Aurelan soundly.

“Get a room,” Jim said before finally succumbing to the drugs and sleep.

When Jim awoke again it was because he had a bed full of a very heavy something. He opened his eyes to find Tesla trying to squeeze onto the mattress while Amanda and Sarek were arguing with a nurse. An argument that ended with, “Well, you try getting her down!”

“Tesla,” Jim murmured. The Sehlat turned her face into Jim’s hand and rumbled happily. “How did you get her here?”

Sarek replied, “She ran onto the transport before we left Vulcan.” The Sehlat continued to rumble with Jim’s attention. “She’s a little large for the bed,” he concluded.

After everything that had happened, Jim didn’t care. This was familiar to him as Vulcan had been in the past few months. He loved being back on Earth, but he found himself becoming homesick. “When do we leave?”

“A qualified healer came with us from Vulcan,” Amanda replied. “Dr. Puri is releasing you tomorrow, and we’ll leave from there.” She touched Jim’s arm, “I’m glad you’re going to be alright.” They soon left, after talking Tesla off the bed, to make final arrangements for tomorrow.

Later Chris returned with Spock. “Jim, we found security surveillance video of the night you were attacked. One a close-up of your attacker in the kitchen.” He showed Jim the picture. It was grainy and a little fuzzy, but there was no doubt about it, he wasn’t human. He wasn’t Vulcan either, he was smiling grimly in the general direction of the camera.

“Romulan?” Jim finally asked.

“We believe so,” Spock answered. “Why would a Romulan be there?”

“The ship that attacked the USS Kelvin, maybe?” Jim asked. Spock looked blankly at him, “I was the baby born on that ship. It was a Romulan ship.”

Spock nodded, “It’s possible. I will have to do more research. Where did you get a Sehlat, if I may ask?”

“Well, she found me,” Jim replied as Spock walked over to the animal and laid a hand on her shoulder. Tesla jerked out of a doze before realizing that it was Spock. She snuffed his hand before suffering to let him caress her. She actually licked him. “You’ve had one?” Jim asked.

“Yes,” Spock replied, “he was a kennel Sehlat, and attached himself to me when he was three months old. He died just before I left for the Academy.” Jim nodded.

“If your attacker was a Romulan, I’m not sure how much we can do about it,” Chris replied. Jim nodded as they left.

T’Nara rose to get him some water, “What do we do now?”

“All we can do is wait,” Jim replied. And that is often the hardest part of all.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody returns home, and Jim finds a few surprises waiting for him. Don’t own them.

Jim slept most of the trip back to Vulcan, and the Vulcan healer, Sorot, was competent, knew human anatomy and his normal stats well, and had a good, if stiff, bedside manner. Years later, under the care of a certain grumpy human doctor, Jim would miss Sorot, A LOT. For the two day journey back to Vulcan, Sorot would come in in the morning, check the sight of the surgery, make sure everything was healing well, and leave Jim to the kind ministrations of his many nurses, mainly T’Nara and Tesla. It was two days before they were sure everything was functioning properly before they could give him solid foods and the pureed foods were, well, less than appetizing. The first day he received a leafy green salad with various legumes, Jim was relieved. Amanda brought him a cheeseburger later, for his protein, of course.

Jim wasn’t stuck in bed all day, and was moving slowly around his room on the second day back to Vulcan. He knew it would be a few days before he was fully up and moving around, and he listened to what his body was telling him. A trick he’d learned on Tarsus IV. His mother finally called two hours before landing on Vulcan to find out how he was doing. “What were you doing on Vulcan?” she demanded.

“I’m taking classes at the Academy there, Winona, didn’t you get my message? Sam did,” Jim answered.

“Well, I want you home. You have no business being on a strange planet so far from home,” Winona announced.

“Winona, I’m not a minor, you can’t force me to come back to Earth. The attack took place on Earth! I’ll be back for Sam and Aurelan’s wedding. You can talk to me then,” Jim cut the connection.

“Has it always been like that for you?” a voice intruded into his thoughts. He looked up at Amanda and nodded, “How?”

“She blames me for my father’s death, even though I was barely born when it happened. Everyone says I look like him,” Jim sighed. “After she married Frank, she just took off, leaving us in his ‘care’.”

Amanda walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. This young man she had come to view as another son, much like Geoff, “Did he abuse you?”

Jim started to shake his head, “I guess. Sam ran away when I was eleven.”

“Jim,” Amanda said, pulling up a chair, “it’s not uncommon for abuse victims to not want to blames their abusers. They might even claim that they love them. You didn’t love him, you were afraid of him. You can’t love someone you’re afraid of,” Jim looked at her. “I was a School Teacher before I married Sarek, and the Psychology of Abuse is one of the things we’re taught about. You show all the classic signs of an abuse victim. It’s not your fault.” That was it, all the emotions of the years of torment came welling up, and he not only told her of Frank but of Tarsus IV. She stared at him before wrapping her arms around him, letting him run through all the emotions he’d never allowed himself to feel before.

“The worst part about it is that they’re not really sure he’s dead,” Jim whispered.

“Kodos?” Amanda asked.

“Yeah, you won’t tell anyone, will you? I mean, the Tarsus 9 are under considerable danger anyway,” Jim asked.

“No one will ever hear it from me,” Amanda told him softly. Jim started to hear her hum a tune softly in his ear, and he drifted off to sleep. Amanda turned to find Sorok standing in the doorway, “Not a word, Sorok, his life may very well depend on our keeping that secret.” Sorok simply nodded.

They reached Vulcan and Jim went immediately to the Halls of Healing. The Healers pronounced him physically able to return home, he just needed to take it easy a few more days. Geoff being at Sarek’s residence might have had a lot to do with it. Jim could have sworn that a few healers were disappointed at his departure. A human subject would have meant they could teach their apprentices about physiology other than Vulcan.

A transport moved Jim from Mt. Seleya to Sarek’s home, but Jim was able to get up and make his way into his room. There, a surprise awaited him. He now had a bigger bed. One large and sturdy enough to fit him, T’Nara, and Tesla, who proved its size by being at the end of the bed. Geoff peeked over his shoulder, “What do you think? I went to some furniture makers here in Shi’ Kahr and asked if they had a bed big enough for the three of you. They came up with this.”

“This is more practical,” Sarek announced. “You at least needed something big enough for the Sehlat.” Amanda smothered a laugh as Jim slipped into bed. Tesla licked his foot causing it to jerk.

Geoff laughed, “You’re ticklish.”

Jim looked sheepishly at Tesla before reaching down to scratch an ear, “Sorry, my friend, I’m just a little sensitive there.” She rumbled at the affection before slipping off the bed and leaving for her own purposes. Jim reached over to the nightstand for his PADD, knowing he had work to catch up on. The others left, leaving the door open so Tesla could return without making Jim get up to let her back in.

Hours later, while he was dozing, T’Nara joined him in bed. He awoke as she climbed in beside him. “Hi,” she said, giving him a soft kiss.

Jim smiled and kissed her back, fully aware that he wasn’t up for much else than holding her, “Hi.”

“Nice bed,” she said with a chuckle.

“I like it,” he said. She pulled out her own PADD and started to study it. “I especially like that it has enough room for all three of us.” T’Nara nodded, she couldn’t agree more.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the Academic year comes quickly, and Jim is headed back to Earth for Sam’s wedding. Not without one more night with T’Nara, of course. Don’t own them.

Jim trudged back to Sarek’s residence. It was the last day of school, if you will, and tomorrow he was heading back to Earth. He would spend a week in Iowa visiting relatives and standing up for Sam before heading to San Francisco. Sarek had business with the Federation Council in the last two weeks of the month, and since Jim was going to Earth anyway, he might as well just meet up with him. It was yet to be seen if Tesla was going or not. She tended to make up her mind at the last minute. Sarek had paid extra for her on the transports, just in case. Geoff was staying on Vulcan.

Jim set his stuff down on the nightstand and turned to regard the room that had been home for the last year. He would be back, he knew it; Winona couldn’t stop him from returning. Tiberius and Sam would back him up if need be, so would Aurelan. He sighed as he sat down on his bed and looked around. Most of his stuff would stay here, all he would bring were the essential Earth type gear. Tesla heaved herself over onto the bed and sighed as Jim petted her with a smile. Amanda peeked in, “Sorry you’re leaving us?” she asked.

“Wishing you were my mother,” Jim muttered. “You wouldn’t object to my coming back to Vulcan.”

Amanda sighed, “Jim, I know your relationship with your mother has been a rocky one, but you have to understand. She does love you.” Jim shook his head in denial of that “fact”. “She does. She worries about you, too. You not only flew the nest, you left the entire planet behind. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, there’s someone here to see you.” Jim looked up and smiled as T’Nara entered the room. Amanda closed the door behind her. Jim moved over to make room for T’Nara as she deposited herself next to the Sehlat. Jim slipped his arms around her.

“You will come back, won’t you?” T’Nara asked. Hope gleamed in her eyes.

“Yes, I’ll be back,” he whispered, giving her a hug. She clung to him like she would never see him again. He kissed her gently, the kiss she returned was not so gentle, and he took the hint. He ran his hands down her back and she purred into the kiss. Tesla got off the bed.

The robes Vulcans wore were definitely easier to get into and out of than human clothes, Jim had decided months ago and grinned at it now as he bared T’Nara’s body to his sight. She shrugged out of it as he reached down to play with a nipple. She leaned back enjoying the sensations. Jim let go and stood, bringing her with him long enough to shed their clothing. She lay down as he climbed back into bed and buried his face in her womanhood. His tongue danced in and around her jewel making her moan. She ran fingers through his hair encouraging his efforts as he lapped up the juices that spilled forth. It didn’t take long, he knew where to put his talented tongue to greatest effect. Her breathing became erratic and she panted as he brought her closer to the edge, and then over it.

“Did I ever tell you how much more I like this bed than the other one?” she asked as he lay partially atop her, kissing her neck. “It’s nice not hanging half off it when we do this.” She peered down on the floor, “Thank you, Tesla,” she said.

“Tesla?” Jim asked.

“Well, if it weren’t for her antics while we were in San Francisco, Amanda would never have told Geoff to get you a new bed,” she said innocently.

Jim smothered a laugh, “For that, you should be punished.”

“Oh? How?” she asked.

“Like this,” he said, thrusting into her body.

T’Nara wound arms and legs around her lover and moaned into his chest. Her red hair swept the pillows beneath her as they moved in unison. His body making contact with her most sensitive areas with every push. He finally felt her clamp down on his cock and let himself go. It felt good to come together. The tentative bond they shared allowed themselves double the pleasure of the release. Gasping, Jim lay down next to her. “Jim, can I ask you a question?” she finally asked, curling into his side.

“Of course,” he replied, his eyes already beginning to droop.

“Have you ever had sex with another man?” she asked.

On Vulcan, homosexuality and bisexuality wasn’t considered the crime it had once been on Earth. Unbonded children were encouraged to discover themselves so that later, they could seek mates more honestly and openly. “Yes, I have,” he finally replied. “I’ll admit to being curious, and turned on by some men, not all.”

“Have you found any here on Vulcan that you’d be interested in?” she asked.

Jim honestly thought about the question, but the answer was the same, “No, especially since you became a significant part of my life.” He kissed her before ordering the lights off. Packing could wait until tomorrow.

The next morning found him on bottom as she rode his cock. She had taken advantage of his morning boner, and he had not been quite fully awake when he realized what she was doing. Instinct took over as he grabbed her buttocks and drove himself up and into her. She panted as she partially lay down on him, her elbows resting on his chest as he took control. She never stopped her own piston movement as she let him set the rhythm. His cock felt so good slipping in and out of her pussy. She froze as she came and she could feel him spurt deep inside her.

Jim smiled as she collapsed on top of him. “Well, that was a pleasant good morning.”

T’Nara hit him, “Well, that will be our last time for several weeks.” She sighed, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too, T’Nara. I’ll be back,” he kissed her for good measure. Slowly they separated and got ready for the day.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tesla discovers grass. It might not seem like such a big deal, but she lives on a desert world where there’s no such thing. Also, last time she went to San Francisco, she made a bee line for the hospital. So, she wasn’t paying much attention. Now, she discovers it, and all sorts of new and interesting things about Iowa, like Squirrels!!! Don’t own them.

Jim sent ahead to Tiberius that they would need the truck. Something to haul a big, heavy animal. While curious, Tiberius pulled out the old, flat-board Ford that had been overhauled more times in the past few centuries than anyone cared to count. He also hauled some steps with him, just in case. What he wasn’t prepared for was the Sehlat. He’d never seen anything like it, and it was stuck to Jim like glue. People were staring. The six inch fangs might have had something to do with it.

“You can’t do anything halfway, can you Jim?” Tiberius asked as he gave his grandson a big hug.

“You know me, Grandpa,” Jim answered with a grin. “This is Tesla, she attached herself to me on Vulcan.”

“Tesla? Odd name for a girl,” he replied with a grin. “I brought the steps so she shouldn’t have much trouble getting into the truck.” They crossed the tarmac and into the parking lot where Tesla bounded into the bed of the truck. Tiberius nodded as Jim patted Tesla before getting into the cab. Tesla settled down quickly once they started moving.

They arrived at the Kirk family farm, which was fortunately a farm, not a ranch, and Jim let down the tailgate. Tesla plopped down into the dewy, morning grass and jumped back into the truck. Jim had never seen her afraid of anything, but the grass was suddenly making her nervous. He laughed as Tiberius grabbed the step ladder from the truck and put it down for her. Hesitantly, she stepped down onto the ladder and slowly made her way down it. Jim had to remember that wet was probably also a new feeling to her as one paw reached down and touched the grass again. Sam was nearby and taking video of this, which Jim was grateful for. He’d send it to Amanda, Sarek, and Geoff later.

Finally, after a lot of coaxing, they managed to get her out of the truck. She gingerly picked one paw up off the ground at a time. It seemed as if she was afraid of what it might do to her. She followed Jim and Tiberius looking around at this strange new world. She sniffed the giant Oak in front of the house and Jim watched as she discovered squirrels. One happened to run in front of her up the tree. She, of course, tried to chase it and discovered the tree had other ideas. She ran head first into the solid oak. Fortunately it was solid, a sapling would have come down with the force she used in running into it.

Jim and the others watched as she actually growled at the tree. Tiberius was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. The Sehlat looked up the tree and whumphed at it. Finally, Dan, the family Great Dane, and a match for the large Sehlat, came over to investigate what all the fuss was about. Tesla had never met a dog and Dan had never met a Sehlat. They stood, looking at each other before sniffing each other’s butts. They, then, scampered off toward the back of the house to play. Aurelan let open the gate so they could do so safely.

“Well, that’s the most fun I’ve had in days,” Tiberius announced as they ventured up to the house. He inspected the tree to make sure there wasn’t any damage. The squirrel chittered angrily at them.

Aurelan met them on the porch, “How was your trip?”

Jim gave her a hug, “It was long. The captain was very nervous about Tesla. She stayed in my cabin the whole trip.”

Sam bounded up to the porch, “Got the whole thing on video, Jim. Just thought you should know!”

Jim grinned, “Let’s send it to Amanda, she’ll get a kick out of it.”

Tiberius and Aurelan grinned at each other as they followed the boys into the house. Jim swallowed, “Winona here yet?”

“No, she may not come. She doesn’t like me,” Aurelan told him.

Jim lay a hand on her shoulder, “Then she has no taste.” She grinned and gave him another hug.

“Hey, hands off my brother!” Sam told her, hands on his hips.

Aurelan mock slapped him before turning into the living room. Jim reflected that family was family, no matter the time or distance.

 


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding preparation and more mayhem involving Tesla and small fuzzy animals. For some reason she doesn’t like cats. Don’t own them.

After an early breakfast, and letting Tesla out to play with Dan and terrorize the neighborhood squirrels, Jim received a call, “Oh my god, Jim, did she really chase a squirrel into the tree?” Amanda gasped between laughs.

“Yep!” Jim told the four faces looking back at him. “I think I might have to warn her off the farm animals, though. You know, the chickens, ducks, cats, pigs, etc. I don’t think anyone’s going to miss the rabbits or squirrels though.”

“And the GRASS!” Geoff said with a wide grin. “I would never have thought something that formidable would be afraid of grass!” Geoff was laughing as well.

Jim shrugged, “Well, it was the first time she’d ever seen grass. She’s currently out playing with Dan, Tiberius’ Great Dane.”

“The canine we saw in the video?” T’Nara asked. “He’s almost as big as Tesla.”

“That he is,” Jim replied. “He’s a good dog. He should teach her the ropes around here.”

“Jim! Jim!” he heard Aurelan calling. Jim went to the window overlooking the backyard to find Tesla vying with Dan to play fetch. Sam was throwing the ball. He hung out the window with his PADD taking more video.

Soon, he came back to the comm and plugged in the video to have it sent to the others. Amanda and Geoff cackled as they watched Tesla and Dan run into each other trying to that little red ball. “Are there any canines on Vulcan?” Jim asked. “Tesla is sure showing some dog characteristics.”

“I am beginning to wonder about that myself,” Sarek mused. “It may be something the Academy can pursue.”

Aurelan started to call Jim’s name, “Sorry, guys, gotta go. See you in San Francisco, Sarek.” Jim cut the connection as he thrust his feet in sandals and traipsed down the steps to the front parlor. Tiberius and Aurelan were standing at the fence watching the game of fetch. “So, you’re teaching my Sehlat how to chase balls?” Jim asked Sam humorously.

“Nope, I do this every morning with Dan. I didn’t expect her to go gallumping after it as well,” Sam replied as Dan, tail wagging vigorously, returned the object in question, Tesla hot on his heels.

“Gallumping?” Jim asked.

“Well, that’s what it looked like,” Sam replied with a laugh as he threw the ball once more. Dan chased after it while Tesla stopped in her tracks and approached the fence, growling. Perched atop it was a young calico cat peering down at the larger animal.

Tesla tried to charge the cat, “Tesla, NO!” Jim called. Tesla skidded to a halt as the cat went on her way unmolested. Sam laughed as Tesla came over and whined at Jim thrusting her muzzle at his hand. He scratched her head reassuringly, “Leave cats and other farm animals alone. Chase after squirrels and rabbits and balls to your heart’s content.” Tesla bumped his hand one more time before Dan returned the ball. This time, Jim threw it, and Tesla was promptly distracted by another squirrel. Jim shook his head.

“Not much of an attention span on that one,” Sam said with another laugh. Then, some chickens wandered through the yard. Tesla wasn’t sure what to make of the feathered intruders. Dan seemed to ignore them so Tesla nudged them with her nose. The lead chicken squawked indignantly at her as she walked by. “You know, she seems to like rabbits,” Sam told Jim.

“Rabbits? Really?!” the shocked look on Jim’s face priceless.

“Yeah, I came down earlier and she was hopping around with a family of them. Squirrels and cats she hates,” Sam replied. At that point Tesla seemed to reach a turning point with the local cat population. A bold, adventurous Tom cat walked right up to her and rubbed himself against her legs. Tesla looked perplexed at this marmalade colored feline who wasn’t afraid of her. She bent down and sniffed at it as it raised its own head and started to purr.

Tiberius slapped the fence with an open palm, “Well, don’t that beat all? That cat’s afraid of nothin’.” Dan raced by with a rather large stick he’d found somewhere. Tesla promptly started after him.

Later that day, Sam took Jim to rent a tuxedo. It made more sense than buying one, Jim wasn’t likely to wear it on Vulcan. Surprisingly, Jim refused a clip on bow tie, showing, rather adeptly, that he knew how to tie one. Sam looked at him, “Show off. Where did you learn that?”

“One of the few times Frank wasn’t drunk he sat me down and showed me how to tie one. I think I was six or seven, but I learned how,” Jim said. The associate helping him was suitably impressed. Jim and Sam left the shop with tux in hand and wandered around after stowing it in the car. It had been a while since Jim had been in Riverside, and it was good to see everyone. “Sometimes I miss this place,” Jim sighed.

“Sometimes?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, sometimes, but I’d miss T’Nara even more if I stayed,” Jim finished.

“You’re really attached to her,” Sam said softly.

“Yes, I am, I love her,” Jim told him.

“Are you two going to get married?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to see what the future holds,” Jim said. For now, as they returned home, it involved telling the neighborhood kids that Dan could not be ridden like a pony, and, no, Tesla did not look good in a tutu!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t already, I’ve gone back and fixed several chapters so the storyline makes sense. If you see any other discrepancies, please let me know, and what chapter I can find them in. Now, back to the story. You see, we’re finally at the wedding, and everyone’s excited. Don’t own them.

“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Sam announced for probably the thirtieth time that morning. Jim patted him on the back. Aurelan was good for him, and he knew it. Wedding day jitters had set in and wouldn’t go away. He looked handsome in the black formal tuxedo. Jim was similarly attired as he held onto the ring bearer, their cousin Michael. The boy had all the energy of a five year old, and his aunt, Debbie, tried to help out.

“You’re going to be fine,” Jim whispered. They stood in the vestibule of the local church, getting ready to go out. “Take deep breaths.”

“I’ll remind you of this when you get married,” Sam whispered back. Jim nearly burst out laughing. Soon, they were called into the main part of the church and stood at the altar, waiting for the bride. Many traditions had changed over the centuries, and many had stayed the same. Aurelan’s Maid of Honor, her sister, Cerise, who wore a pale green monstrosity with a giant purple bow that took up most of her left side.

Aurelan, however, wore pale blue as she followed another cousin and flower girl, Charlotte, down the aisle, her father at her side. The flowers she carried were pale pink orchids with baby’s breath cascading down her hand. She smiled at Sam, and he smiled back. Jim grinned as she reached the altar. The ceremony was brief. Everyone wanted to get to the party, and Jim couldn’t disagree with that sentiment as the Minister finally pronounced, “You may kiss your bride.” Everyone cheered. Jim escorted Cerise back down the aisle smiling at the guests. They all stood outside the church as the photographer took pictures.

Jim ducked out of the way as the guests started throwing rice, the traditional symbol of fertility. Sam and Aurelan grinned as they made a run for the limo. Jim and the rest made a more stately walk to the various vehicles awaiting their arrival. They exited for the reception at Tiberius’ farm. The wedding planner had gone to great lengths to set up everything for their arrival, and Jim could hear both Tesla and Dan whining in the backyard as the humans made their way to the reception.

Finally, Jim rose to make the toast, “Sam, wow, you’re married. Aurelan, you’ve actually put up with him long enough to marry him!” Catcalls ensued as Jim paused, “Sam, we’ve been through a lot, good and bad. You are my brother, and I love you. Aurelan, well, good luck!” chuckles went around with the comment. “But seriously, I wish you long and happy lives together. You know how to reach me! To the Bride and Groom!” Everyone echoed the toast as Jim sipped the champagne and watched Sam and Aurelan kiss more tenderly.

The night went off without a hitch. The first dance and cake smashing was successfully implemented. Jim did NOT catch the garter, but Cerise caught the bouquet. As the happy couple drove away, Tiberius leaned on Jim, “Well, at least Winona didn’t show up.” All Jim could do was nod his head.

But Winona did show up, a day late and a dollar short as the saying goes. She burst into the house as Tiberius and Jim were having breakfast. Jim wouldn’t leave for San Francisco for another three days, but he could smell the liquor from where he sat as she bellowed, “Where is she? Where is that whore who wants to marry my son?”

Jim lurched to his feet ahead of Tiberius as he ran to the living room, “They’re gone Winona.”

“Where? I want to give that bitch a piece of my mind!” Winona continued, weaving her way to the back of the house.

“They’re gone, Winona,” Tiberius said quietly. “They were married yesterday.”

“What? No! I’ll find them. I’ll get this farce of a marriage annulled,” she ranted.

“No, Winona, you won’t,” Jim told her.

“No? How dare you tell me NO!” she bellowed to her son. She reached up to slap him as he grabbed both of her arms.

“You’ll do no such thing. Aurelan’s pregnant, Mom,” Jim told her, trying to appeal to her better nature. “You need to leave them alone.”

“It’s not his,” she announced. “It can’t be Sam’s.”

“It is, Winona, it is Sam’s,” Tiberius told her. She swayed on her feet slightly before collapsing. Jim barely caught her before she hit the floor. He laid her out on the couch. “She never understood that she can’t control your lives,” his grandfather told Jim. Jim only nodded. He’d be leaving for San Francisco sooner than he thought. He couldn’t stay here with Winona. Tiberius understood that.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winona sobers up and she and Jim finally talk, like they’ve never talked. Don’t own them.

Jim stood at the backyard fence watching Tesla and Dan play. He held the red ball in his hand as he thought through what happened the day before. He and Tesla would leave the next day. He had arranged an earlier transport through the Vulcan Embassy and Charles. Charles assured him that there was space for the Sehlat, and Sarek was aware of his early return.

“WHAT is THAT?” he heard behind him. He turned to find Winona standing behind him pointing at Tesla.

“That’s Tesla, she’s a Sehlat. They’re native to Vulcan, and I’m her person.”

“So, she decided that, did she?” Winona asked as she approached the fence. Tesla kept romping around, oblivious to the conversation going on beside her.

“Yes, she did,” Jim answered. “Here,” he handed her the red ball. “Throw it,” he told her.

Winona looked curiously at Jim, “Well, Dan will be entertained.” She threw the ball and watched as both animals chased after it. Dan caught it and brought it back wagging his tail. She threw it again and watched as Tesla caught it this time and brought it back. “Are you sure she’s not some kind of weird dog?” Winona finally asked.

“You’re not the first person to ask that question,” Jim said with a laugh. Jim turned to her, “Winona, I don’t know what you expected of me. I got in trouble, got in college, and now I’m actually making something of myself. Ambassador Sarek made me his aide.”

Winona laughed softly, “I’m not surprised, you were always an organized little shit.” Jim flinched, “I’m sorry, Jim, old habits die hard.” She laid a soft hand on his face, “You’ve grown up so much and you look so much like George.”

“I’m not Dad, Winona, I never knew him,” he said quietly. “Sam and I are our own people now. You’re going to have to accept that. He and Aurelan are happy,” he finished.

“Really? Are they really happy?” Winona asked. Jim nodded firmly. “What about you? Do you have someone in your life?”

Jim pulled out his PADD and pulled up a picture, “This is T’Nara. We’re informally bonded. It was one of those things that just happens.” It was a picture Jim had taken of T’Nara when she wasn’t looking. A light gust of wind had picked up her red hair, tossing it carelessly to the side as she stared out at the desert night.

“She’s beautiful, Jim. Are Vulcans capable of love?” she asked.

“They’re capable of many and intense emotions, Winona, they just choose not to show them to all but those closest to them. I know how she feels about me,” he finished, blushing.

Winona tossed the ball again, watching Tesla and Dan chase after it, “Be happy, Jim, that’s all that I want for you now.”

“I am Winona, I am. What are you doing now that Frank is gone?” he asked, changing the subject.

Winona sighed, “I’ve been assigned to Starfleet Headquarters as a liaison of sorts. I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing. You’ll be in San Francisco, right? I understand Ambassador Sarek is coming to Earth for the next few sessions.”

“Yeah, I’ll return to Vulcan in August, before the new Academic year begins,” he told her.

“Be safe, Jim, I have this awful feeling that the business that started the day you were born isn’t finished, and it might take Vulcan and the Federation with it,” Winona told him.

“I’ll be fine,” Jim told her with all the confidence of youth.

The next day Tiberius loaded Jim and Tesla up into the back of his truck and took them back to the spaceport. “I have something for you,” Tiberius said handing him a bag. In it was a rawhide chew bone, a red ball just for Tesla, and a book, “The Kama Sutra”. “You never know when that might come in handy, Jim,” Tiberius told him.

“You’re a dirty old man, Grandpa,” Jim told his Grandfather as he departed with Tesla for the shuttle. Tiberius smiled sadly at Jim’s retreating back.

“Don’t forget to write!” Tiberius called back. Jim waved before putting a hand on Tesla’s shoulder. It was time to go back to work.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Tesla are waiting for Sarek at the Embassy, and Jim gets a nice surprise. Still don’t own them, darn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is what happens when I get horny! lol

The bed was nice, soft and warm. The San Francisco weather, as usual, was anything but. Charles had taken an instant liking to Tesla and found a bed big enough to fit a Great Pyrenees, and it allowed Tesla to sleep off the floor. Sometime during the night, however, the covers were slowly being stolen. A faint, sleepy part of his brain told him that this was familiar. He just wasn’t putting it together in his dreams, even as he got colder and colder. It wasn’t cold enough to wake him up, he was from Iowa after all.

Suddenly, his morning erection felt more pleasurable. His foggy mind tried to place what was going on, but all it would do was tell him to leave it alone. Slowly, he managed to convince himself to wake up, and open his eyes. When he did he discovered T’Nara between his legs. She had fished his cock out of his boxers and her lips covered the head. A slow smile crept across his face as she continued her own seduction. Not that he needed any convincing. One hand cradled his balls, playing with them. He desperately suppressed the desire to thrust upward and into her mouth as she took him further and further in.

Then, in a surprising move, she reached the bottom of his shaft. The feel of her hands around his perineum caused him to lose control as he thrust upwards further down her throat as she continued her bobbing motions. He finally exploded into her mouth, losing all control. When she was done she scooted upward and pressed her lips to his, her bare breasts scraping along his chest. He opened his mouth and she followed suit as his arms traveled down her body to her ass. Firm and curvaceous, he loved looking at it, whether or not it had anything on it. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed her buttocks.

Jim rolled her off him and claimed one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking and licking it as a hand found its way between her legs. She spread them as he found her jewel. He ran a soft finger along the outside before taking it between his fingers and moving it back and forth. The sensitive nerves contained therein caused her moan. She ran her fingers through his hair, his name a breathless whisper as he continued his pleasurable assault on her willing person. He finally felt her honey flow forth as she trembled her way to an orgasm. He got up and pulled off his boxers before joining her. He rolled her onto her side away from him and snuggled up close. He kissed her neck before lifting her upper leg and plunging his hard cock into her.

T’Nara moaned as she grabbed that leg and Jim’s hand found its way back to her clit. It wasn’t a fast, frantic coupling, but slow and methodical as they both moved against each other. She turned her head and his kissed her mouth as she panted in front of him. “Jim!” she repeated over and over again. Her words caused him to move faster as their bodies pressed even more tightly together. Her free hand clutched at the sheets in front of her as she finally came. He came too, pressing himself into her as he poured his seed deep into her.

Suddenly, he found her pressing a bottle of lube into his hand. He looked confused before she told him she wanted to try it up the ass. Jim looked at her before he coated his fingers. “This will be uncomfortable, T’Nara, and I’ll do my best to prepare you, but I need you to remain relaxed,” he whispered to her. “You can tell me to stop at any time.”

T’Nara nodded before he inserted his fingers. She wiggled a little bit, and definitely tensed up, but he slowly pushed one finger at a time inside her ass. He had worked up to four fingers, and she was definitely loose, before he leaned in, “Okay, are you ready?” She nodded as he pulled her back into the previous position and slowly pushed his way in. He stopped when he felt her muscles tighten, but he knew this was going to be slow. She never told him to stop. Once her muscles unclenched he started pushing in again. Both of her hands now had a death grip on the sheets in front of her as she was determined to put all the strain and tension there instead of down there.

It took a few minutes, but finally he was completely in. Her arms relaxed as she became adjusted to the odd intrusion. “You’ve done this before?” she asked quietly.

Jim whispered, “Yes, not with a woman though.” T’Nara nodded. He had admitted he’d been with men. He rubbed her lower back and she relaxed even more. Soon, he started moving again. He moved slowly, he didn’t want to hurt either of them. Once she adjusted they could pick up the pace. He watched as her hands clawed at the sheet in front of her, it was being abused by both of them that morning, he noted. Slowly, her muscles stopped trying to reject him and started clenching around him. She started moaning as he pounded her butt over and over again. He moved easily inside her as she pressed her head back into him. He rained kisses over her back and shoulders as he once again felt himself releasing into her. Her harsh pants and near screams told him that she was coming too. He finally pulled out of her slowly.

“I’m going to be walking funny,” she said with a sigh. Jim laughed as he rolled over onto his back and she snuggled up to him. He reached for the lamp and turned it on before opening the book on the stand. “What’s that?” she asked, propping herself up on an elbow.

“The Kama Sutra, Tiberius gave it to me before I left Iowa. It’s an ancient sex manual written by Indians hundreds of years ago. The ancient sub-continent natives, not the North American natives,” Jim said quickly. “I’m not sure some of these positions are even possible,” Jim said, pointing to a picture.

T’Nara buried her face in his chest, “Not anatomically, anyway. Interesting though.”

The next morning Sarek joined them for breakfast to plan out the day. He had several meetings planned that Jim had mapped out in advance in accordance to his needs for this trip to Earth. Several happened to be Secretaries to the Earth President regarding Commerce, Mutual Defense, and various other things that the Vulcan High Council was concerned about. Jim wouldn’t accompany him to these meetings, but had other business with other aides to set up appointments. T’Nara would stay at the Embassy and entertain Tesla. Tesla didn’t need much help. She was sitting in the kitchen corner chewing on the bone Tiberius had given her.

They separated for the day and Jim headed for Federation Headquarters and was oblivious to his surroundings before he heard his name being called. He turned to find Finnegan striding across the campus green toward him with another man beside him. “Jimmy! I’d like you to meet my boss, Harcourt Fenton Mudd!”

“Harry Mudd, at your service,” the man introduced himself. He was short, portly, with balding brown hair and a flowing mustache. His clothes were tailored, yet loose and flowy. Jim took an instant dislike to the man for all the attempts at being genial. Maybe it was because he was there with Finnegan.

“Jim Kirk,” he responded.

“Aw, Seamus has said much about you. You’re Ambassador Sarek’s aide, aren’t you?” Jim nodded. “Well, I need to see if I can get into see him. I have some possible trade deals he and Vulcan might be interested in.

Jim pulled out his PADD, “His schedule’s pretty full for this trip, Harry. There are a couple of possible openings, but I need to speak to the Ambassador first. This trip was to see Officials and the Council Meetings. Individual traders and companies weren’t initially on the list.

Mudd handed him an old fashioned paper card, “Here’s my card if you can fit me in. Thank you for seeing me, Jim.” With that, he and Finnegan strode off. Jim had the sudden urge to go wash his hands, as if he’d touched something slimy. He finally put the card in a pocket and turned to find Captain Pike standing there.

Pike chuckled, “Feeling dirty, are you?” Jim nodded, “Yeah, he leaves that feeling with everybody. I’m trying to get Finnegan away from him. He has potential.”

Jim nodded, “If you can harness it. He can be a vicious, mean-spirited bastard though.”

“He didn’t attack you last year,” Chris told him.

“I know that, Captain, but I was his roommate for a year in college. I know what he’s like,” Jim nodded at Chris before hurrying off on his own errands.

Chris watched him go, “Son, you’re the one I want at the Academy, not Seamus.” Then, he turned off to his own errands, he had much to do himself.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim receives notice from the Academy that he, as a second year student, will be required to conduct a seminar, and could he please do it on Humans and Earth? Don’t own them.

Jim’s bedside table beeped at him. He blearily awoke, wondering who would be sending him an e-mail at 3 am. Next to him T’Nara woke as her table beeped at her as well. Jim sat up, not even bothering to turn on the light, and turned on the PADD. T’Nara just grabbed hers and turned it on. Jim gaped at what was on it. “Did you just get an assignment from the VSA?” he asked.

“Yes, they want me to conduct a Seminar on Astrophysics. I’m going to be spending a LOT of time with my Mother before school starts,” she replied sleepily. “What about you?”

“Anthropology,” he muttered. In the dim light shed by the PADD, he saw an eyebrow crease, “it’s the study of us, humans. Our culture, languages, written and spoken, our civilizations, how we evolved, religions, and all the rest. Good thing I’m here on Earth, it’ll be easier for me to get access to the records and pictures I need.” T’Nara turned off her PADD and went back to sleep, Jim joined her cuddling up next to her.

Jim and T’Nara worked doggedly on their projects while helping Sarek. The Federation Council was due to start meeting in two days, and Jim was helping get Sarek up to speed on everything on the Council’s agenda. Before they left, Jim stood in front of Sarek and T’Nara to practice what he had put together so far on Humanity.

“Humanity is a wide and varied subject that has taken up an entire profession since at least the latter half of the 19th Century, if not longer. The subject is called Anthropology. This includes, Archeology, Religion, cultures, linguistics, and evolution among many other things. In most other fields, Evolution and Religion would have no real place being studied side-by-side, and many religions insisted that their creation stories were actually what happened. That being said, there are almost as many creation stories as there are religions on Earth Including one purported African religion that held that the world was made 246 years ago under a nearby tree.”

“That is most illogical considering your oldest continually inhabited cities can date back some 12,000 years,” Sarek said.

“True,” Jim responded, “the most dominant religion insisted for hundreds of years that the sun revolved around the Earth, like their holy book insisted. They even persecuted a man for contradicting them, making him recant his statements. His name was Galileo Galilei, and they apologized to him 300 years later. Religion is rarely logical, it is based on belief and faith. I read an early 21st Century writer proclaim that she’d made a god of computers, and named him Fred, because computers were contrary things and so was every Fred she’d ever met.

“In the early 19th Century, a man named Charles Darwin pissed off most people in the religious community by publishing ‘The Origin of Species’. This proposed the idea of the Theory of Evolution.”

“The idea that all living creatures came from single celled organisms,” T’Nara said.

“In the most basic form, it was the idea that humans descended from monkeys, and our closest relatives were apes, that made them mad. Still today they try to come up with proof for ‘Creationism’. That a single god, their god, created everything. While that may seem strange to you, this is one of many things that makes us human.” Pictures flashed up on the screen in front of them: a Roman Catholic Priest conducting church services, a woman studying Chimpanzees, a teacher sitting in front of a classroom talking about the solar system.

“Archeology is the study of our civilizations. There have been countless thousands since Homo sapiens left Africa, and the different climates we lived in left their unique stamp on countless generations,” he flashed more pictures of different people from different parts of the world. “One of the most complex studies is that of languages. What we commonly refer to as Federation Standard is a language called English. Originating in the isle of Great Britain, specifically a place called England, it is a mixture of many different languages and words that are uniquely its own. I speak the North-Western American dialect of English.” More pictures appeared of different languages in written form, he stopped at a picture of pictures, “This is an actual written language spoken by the Ancient Egyptians. These are called hieroglyphs. They can be found on the pyramid tombs of Ancient Egypt, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

“Do you plan on talking about First Contact and how it impacted Human Culture?” T’Nara asked.

“I’ll have to go through the Eugenics War, World War III, and Zephram Cochran first. Maybe I should talk to Admiral Archer before I leave, he knew Cochran, even though he was a child,” Jim said. “T’Nara, contact the Vatican. I believe they still have books that showed how the solar system and the planets worked revolving around the Earth. It should be educational for your seminar, if nothing else.”

“Somebody actually worked it out?” T’Nara asked, clearly appalled.

“Yes, they did. They might be able to send you copies of the drawings and explanations. Although, you may need them to translate them for you,” Jim smiled at T’Nara. “Just be polite, and tell them that this is for a project you are researching while on Earth.”

The next day Jim found T’Nara staring at her PADD, on it were the actual drawings that Jim had mentioned, “So, they were able to help you?”

“Oh, yes, they were more than happy to help. I talked to an aide who was an aide to a Cardinal who ran the archives. Like your Library of Congress, they have made the public part of those Archives available on-line.* He was able to take me through finding what I needed.”

Jim nodded as he sat next to T’Nara, they would be leaving for Vulcan soon and they enjoyed this time together. Soon, Vulcan and her demands would intrude back into their lives, and Geoff would want to know everything that happened while they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I don't know that they are. I was just taking a wild guess.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grandpa comes to meet T’Nara and Sarek, and brings Tesla’s favorite pooch. Don’t own them.

Jim stared at his PADD. “There has to be some sort of link between Science and Religion that I can use as an example,” he muttered.

T’Nara looked over, “Wasn’t there some sort of myth that was discovered to have some truth? Something about a wooden horse?”

Jim stared at her for a moment, “Of course! Heinrich Schliemann! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Who?” T’Nara asked.

“In the late 19th early 20th centuries a man by the name of Heinrich Schliemann went looking for the ancient city of Troy. In the Ancient Greek Religion a war was fought there for ten years over the ‘abduction’ of Helen. She was reported to be the most beautiful woman in the world and she was stolen, or went willingly depending on who you asked, from her husband, a powerful king, to return her home. It took ten years and a wooden horse, the Trojan Horse if you will, to bring her back. The King and his Greek allies abandoned their siege leaving the horse on the beach with their men inside. The Trojans thought this was a sign from the Gods that they had won and brought the horse inside their walls and celebrated. After everyone went to bed, the men in the horse slipped out, killed the men, enslaved the boys and women, and took Helen home. Centuries later, Heinrich Schliemann set out and found the ruins of Troy in Turkey.”

“That’s quite a tale,” T’Nara said.

“Oh, that’s nothing, the saga of the Siege of Troy can be found in Homer’s epic ‘The Iliad’. He didn’t actually write it, it’s said he was blind. But he did recite it, and someone wrote it and ‘The Odyssey’ down for generations to come. The other Epic was written about another king’s journey to return home to his wife, Penelope. Also a very interesting read.”

T’Nara nodded her head as Sarek entered the study where they sat, “Jim, there is someone here to see you. He says he is your Grandfather and he has brought a very large dog named Dan.”

Jim grinned and gestured for them to follow, “Come on, T’Nara, I want you to meet Tiberius and Dan. Tesla will be excited.” And Tesla was. She and Dan were jumping all around each other scampering around the lawn. Tiberius watched their antics with a grin on his face as Jim came out to give him a hug. “Grandpa!”

“Geez, Jim, it’s not like we didn’t see each other last month!” he replied with a chuckle. “You must be T’Nara, Jim told me about you.” T’Nara watched as Dan ran up to her and nudged her hand. She reached out and scratched his ears. He licked her hand and leaned against her before Tesla went running by. He took off after her. Jim made sure the Embassy gates were closed before calling them to the back of the Embassy. A fenced in area was found back there and both animals obediently entered their new playground. Charles stood nearby with another ball, this one green. Tiberius grinned, “Tesla’s got your throwing the ball, too, huh?”

Charles grinned, “Yeah, she’s a funny animal. I never quite pictured her when I thought of Sehlats.”

“I don’t think anyone did,” Jim replied, “but she definitely has personality.”

Sarek nodded at that as they walked back into the house leaving Charles, Tesla, Dan, and a ball behind. “So, what are you two up to?” Tiberius asked.

“Projects for the Academy,” T’Nara replied. “I am doing one on Astrophysics, and Jim is doing one on Anthropology.”

“Anthropology? The study of us?” Tiberius asked.

“Yep,” Jim replied. “T’Nara gave me a great way to tie Science and Religion together, Troy.”

Tiberius nodded, “It proved that some of those old tales weren’t grand epic fictions made up by ancient writers. Why do they have you doing this?”

T’Nara answered, “They have us do a series of seminars during our second year to see where our strengths are. In our third year we’ll be assisting teachers in various schools around Vulcan in those subjects where we excelled to help our children understand them better. In our fourth year, we’ll actually be conducting an entire year of classes on that subject. I doubt that my next seminar will be on Astrophysics. Jim, however, you may be asked to expand on Anthropology, one subject if you will, in each of your next seminars.”

Jim nodded, “How many seminars will we be conducting?”

“At least four,” T’Nara replied, “That is all standard.”

“T’Nara, next year I’d love to have you and Jim come visit the farm together. I’m pretty sure Tesla would agree,” Tiberius told her. Dan, outside, started barking as if in agreement.

T’Nara nodded, “I would be honored, Tiberius.”

“Good, that’s settled. What’s for dinner?” he asked plaintively. Jim laughed, some things never changed.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m skipping ahead some months, no, not years, to the seminars that Jim and T’Nara give. Yes, I’ve seen pictures of how early European scientists tried to make the Earthcentric solar system work. It was quite bizarre. Don’t own them.

Jim seated himself in the front row. It wasn’t terribly necessary that he attend, but he was curious. T’Nara had not only gone through how ancient scientists had seen the universe on Earth, but contacted other species about how their ancients viewed it. The most interesting was the Hindu belief that the world was flat and carried around on the backs of turtles as it made its way around the sun. Jim had laughed, “Well, they got part of it right.”

The ancient Betazoids thought that the sun and other planets were suspended on wires controlled by the Gods as they made their way around a chunk of rock in the middle of the solar system. As far as Jim was concerned it wasn’t any crazier than the Ancient Greek belief that Apollo drove a chariot across the sky towing the sun behind it. Oddly enough, there was no record of what the Ancient Vulcans believed. After the solar event that rendered their world a hot desert, except the poles, they were so focused on survival that their gods were in their immediate vicinity, and they did not concern themselves with the universe until somebody got curious enough to build a telescope and turn it toward the heavens.

The different species were more than cooperative in sharing what had been handed down over the existence of their civilizations, and many had many different interpretations of how the universe worked. T’Nara, of course, started out with the ancient European scientists before Galileo. There she showed the little circles the planets and sun were making in order for their Religious based models to work. She even made a computer graphic that showed how they made it work. It didn’t, of course. “There were several instances, including in Ancient Rome, where the calendar became slightly off. Holidays normally celebrated during the end of the year, somehow fell in the middle of the year. One Pope, after celebrating Christmas in the Summer, only odd when you consider that it was the Northern Hemisphere and they should have been celebrating it much later, decided to move the year back six months and reworked the calendar to include a ‘Leap Year’. They added a day to the second month of the year every four years.”

“Obviously,” she concluded, “none of these are logical. Most of them are based on faith. This was how the ancients saw their worlds, and interpreted it. It made perfect sense to them at the time when science really did not exist. Some looked up at the stars and made pictures out of them and told fantastic tales to go with those pictures. What these people lacked in logic they more than made up for in imagination bringing together their families, tribes, and nations with each story that was retold and eventually written down.”

Silence greeted her ending statement. T’Nara simply waited, Vulcans did not applaud. A hand rose, “How did you come across this aspect of Astrophysics when you were researching the subject?”

“My partner, Mr. Kirk, suggested that I call the Vatican and see if they would forward me the initial drawings,” she flipped the presentation back to the Earthcentric slide. “They were very helpful and more than willing to share with me what they had. I forwarded everyone who helped me this presentation, and they were quite pleased. The Cardinal I spoke with said they would add it to their archives.”

“What happened to those early scientists who contradicted long standing belief?” another voice rose.

“Often they were persecuted as heretics. Galileo Galilei, the human who first observed the solar system as it was, was hounded by the Church until he recanted his findings, which he’d had the temerity to have published without the Vatican’s approval. Four hundred years later, Pope John Paul II, leader of the Vatican and all those followed their faith, apologized.”

The questions persisted for more than an hour. Two hours later, Jim found himself on stage giving his presentation. It was, as he put it, Anthropology 101. As he finished, he looked down to see T’Nara, Geoff, Amanda, Sarek and T’Nara’s parents sitting in the front row. Geoff was grinning, Jim simply nodded. The Vulcans were absolutely fascinated that humans would devote an entire area of study just to themselves. They also found it quite logical as they fired off questions about Darwin, Schliemann, the Bible, and various other aspects of humanity that fascinated them. Jim walked off the stage feeling satisfied, and wondering what he’d be presenting next.

The week after all the presentations were given, their professor told them the purpose of them, “Not all of you will be diplomats, or scientists, or whatever your chosen field is. Some of you will be aides, teachers, and communicators across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. This was to see how well you can put together ideas and communicate them to the most difficult audience possible, Vulcans. All of you did well and will find your next Seminar assignment on your PADDs.”

Jim found himself faced with another Anthropology assignment, Linguistics and Religion. T’Nara was told to see how the Ancients viewed their world, not the universe around them. They had three months to prepare, and all Jim could do was shake his head. Tesla had disappeared the week before, and before anyone could really worry about where she’d gone, she’d returned, and a local breeder told Jim that she was carrying cubs.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tesla’s growling, and Jim’s worried. Well, what do you expect? It’s his first litter! Turns out, Jim and Bones have met before. Don’t own them. Except Tesla, she’s mine.

_USS Enterprise, Sickbay_

McCoy turned to find the Kirk standing behind him in Sickbay. Jim was due to leave for Nero’s ship shortly, and Jim was studying him, “Don’t I know you from somewhere else?”

McCoy looked back at him, “It don’t think so, but you look familiar to me as well.”

Jim’s lips pursed as he studied the doctor and his eyes widened, “You’re the doctor from Georgia!”

Bones groaned at the sudden memory, remembering Jim as well, “And you’re the farmboy from Iowa!”

_Vulcan_

“She’s growling,” T’Nara mumbled beside Jim.

“Who’s growling?” Jim asked half asleep.

“Tesla’s growling,” T’Nara clarified.

Jim popped his head over T’Nara’s bare shoulder, and sure enough, Tesla was on her bed, growling. “Yeah, she’s been doing that a lot lately,” he replied.

Tesla wasn’t the only one growling. As the only wild-born Sehlat in the vicinity, she was at a premium, or her genes were anyway. Local breeders were trying to get their hands on the cubs before they were even born. One had even showed up at Sarek’s residence at 3 am trying to talk Jim into letting him have one of the cubs. He never got that far. Amanda started growling at him, and went so far as to threaten him with a broom, or was it a frying pan, Jim wasn’t really sure, it was rather early. That breeder left, and when he returned at a more reasonable hour the next day, Tesla bit him. For some reason he never returned.

There were two breeders that Tesla didn’t growl at, or try to bite, and Jim trusted them enough that when they both recommended the same healer, he turned to her. T’Den was a competent animal healer with experience with Sehlats and other animals on Vulcan. She laid hands on Tesla and confirmed that she carried cubs, and she believed there were six of them, an average sized litter. She told Jim that Tesla was still fairly young at two years of age, and told him that Sehlats could live upwards of thirty years. Jim smiled when he realized he had many years ahead with Tesla. Tesla was now toward the end of her eight week pregnancy, and Jim was frankly relieved.

Three weeks before one enterprising soul had started auctioning off rights to the cubs. Problem was he didn’t consult with Jim first, and, when Jim was notified, he went to the Vulcan authorities. The person in question was a Ferengi who didn’t live on Vulcan, and the Vulcan authorities couldn’t touch him, but made sure a sign was available the read, “No cubs have been or will be sold. If you purchased rights to one of them, good luck in getting your money back.”

T’Nara laughed, Jim liked that laugh and wished he could hear it more often, but outside of the privacy offered by one of their bedrooms, she didn’t laugh. He reached a hand over and tweaked a nipple causing her to groan, “You have a one track mind James T. Kirk.”

“This from the woman who woke me up in the middle of the night,” Jim said. They had taken to sleeping in one of their beds at night together. It woke Amanda up a lot less, and she was grumpy if you woke her up for no good reason. Of course Amanda was a lot less grumpy for some people than others. T’Nara turned over to face Jim and pressed herself against him, he ran his hands down her silky skin as she pressed in for a kiss. Their lips parted and tongues clashed. He pulled away from her trailed kisses down her arm before pushing her onto her back. Her eyes closed in anticipation as his tongue brushed her jewel. Nothing felt this good as he licked her. The tightly wound nerves sparking with each nibble and each lick. Her hands reached down and fingers ran through his hair, encouraging him with gasps and moans.

Spurred on Jim slid a finger into her pussy. T’Nara moaned as he slid his finger in and out of her. He could get three fingers in, but he liked to take it slow. He also liked to torture, just before she came he stopped. She let out a little whimper as he laughed, “You are so predictable.”

“Stop talking, human,” T’Nara grumbled as he pulled her onto his lap. With one quick thrust he was inside her and all talking seemed superfluous. She moaned as he slowly thrust into her. He leaned forward and she wrapped her arms around him, her fingernails leaving scratches in his skin. Time was what it was, and seemed to stand still as he continued to brush her jewel bringing her closer and closer to her climax. She could feel her muscles clenching around him as their world abruptly shattered with pleasure.

This time, he didn’t slip out of her, he was still hard and she found that she liked that. There was something possessive about it as she lay atop him as he had rolled over when they were done. “Hi,” he said, kissing her nose.

T’Nara kissed him back and then put her head on his chest. Her breathing returning to normal before she sat up. Jim grinned waiting for her to make the first move. She did with an upward movement that nearly took him out of her before coming back down. Her breasts bounced with her movements. For his part Jim thrust upwards into her. It was as timeless as before as they continued moving. He reached over and played with her clit adding to her pleasure. She moaned and he joined her, knowing how good it felt, it transferred to her pussy muscles working on his cock.

Jim watched as she lifted herself completely off him lay down beside him, her back to him. He knew what this meant. There were women who didn’t like anal sex, T’Nara took to it like a fish to water. He spread her buttocks and pushed his way in. After months of this her muscles allowed him in easily and she seemed to come harder this way than the regular way. Jim didn’t complain. Her muscles there worked their magic as well as he finally came deep within her.

Two days later T’Nara knew that she wasn’t going to have any of Jim’s attention that night. Tesla was in labor, and T’Den and Amanda were with them. Jim stayed at Tesla’s head, stroking it and speaking soothing words to her as Tesla moaned through a contraction. T’Nara stroked Tesla’s abdomen as they encouraged Tesla as best they could. T’Den proclaimed it an easy delivery after six hours, Tesla pushed the six cubs out within minutes of each other. T’Den picked them up one by one and set them at Tesla’s head. Tesla licked her hand and started cleaning her litter. Four girls and two boys, and they all seemed healthy.

“Have you decided how to give them away?” T’Nara asked.

“Yes, I’m going to let them choose, like their mother did. Let people come see the cubs and see what happens. Sarek said that would be the best way,” Jim replied, leaning his head against her hand. The cubs were soon squirming at Tesla’s teats. They were hungry, always a good sign no matter what the species. Geoff and Sarek finally came in to see the litter and were quite pleased with the outcome.

“It is good to see them healthy,” Sarek replied. Amanda smiled as did Geoff. Tesla, oblivious to those around her, was busy being a good mother.

_USS Enterprise, Outside Sickbay_

T’Nara, preoccupied, looked up at Jim whose mind was elsewhere as well, “Jim, what is it?”

Jim shook his head, finally noticing she was there, “Remember when I answered your question about sleeping with another man?” she nodded. He pointed to the dark haired man Sickbay, “That’s him. We met once, in Georgia, and I never expected to see him again. It seems some sort of bizarre coincidence.”

T’Nara studied the man from the corridor, “It does show one thing, Jim, you have good taste.”

 


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young of so many species are cute, and wiggly. T’Nara doesn’t mince words. As far as I know, no such law exists in cannon. Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

“So, you slept with my mate,” a voice sounded behind McCoy.

McCoy turned to find the young, red-haired Vulcan behind him, “Yes, I did. That was years ago. I’ve been married since then.”

“Did you find him acceptable?” she asked. “Did you have any children?”

“It wasn’t my first time with a man, but it was definitely memorable. Yes, we have a daughter, Joanna. We divorced right before I entered the Academy,” he said softly. “Why are you asking me this?”

“There is an obscure Vulcan law that allows a woman to take more than one mate, more than two is considered tacky. Under the current circumstances I am considering the possibilities,” she replied.

McCoy looked at her sadly, “Ma’am, I am damaged goods. My ex-wife took everything from me but my bones.”

T’Nara put her hand against his cheek and he sighed at the warm tenderness of the touch, “You see damaged goods. I see a man whose heart was broken but can be mended. Give yourself a chance, McCoy.”

_Vulcan_

Sehlat cubs were very cute, and very wiggly as Jim found out during the ten weeks they stayed with their mother. The first time he picked one up Tesla licked his hand in encouragement. The little female’s eyes weren’t open yet but she definitely had opinions on being held. She immediately started squeaking and wiggled, a lot. Amanda had tied bows around each cub with a different color, so they could tell them apart. The cub he held was blue, there was also green, orange, pink, yellow, and white. Jim put blue down and smiled.

Amanda came up behind him, “Well, you’re now a father.”

“Well, kind of,” Jim responded. “I certainly didn’t father these cubs. They are cute.”

“Yes, they are. We need to get them used to being handled, so continue to pick them up. Tesla trusts all of us so we’ll be doing the same,” she told him.

Jim picked up one of the male cubs, green, and the cub immediately started mouthing his hand. “This one is hungry,” he murmured as he deposited the cub back with his litter mates. A few days later their eyes opened and they started exploring their world, or trying to anyway. Their legs wouldn’t quite cooperate fully, and while they could stand, they ended up scooting along on their bellies than actually walking. They sniffed the entire way anything that was near. They soon came to recognize Amanda, Sarek, Jim, Geoff and T’Nara as they moved through their little world. They often made a fuss if Tesla left to take care of business and six cubs could make a lot of noise.

As they grew Tesla watched them more and more carefully. As a mother she appeared to be a good one, and made sure that their first outing was into the garden out back. Tiberius even sent some chew toys so their teething wouldn’t disrupt anything vital, like shoes. When they were six weeks old people came around to see them. Many were hoping that they would come to them. Blue took to a little boy almost immediately, but the young Vulcan understood that it would still be a few more weeks before he could take her home.

Blue and green were the dominant ones, they were always the first to the meals, and when they started eating solid food mixed with milk they lapped theirs up and tried to move in on their siblings meals. Jim ended up having to feed the others in a separate room from blue and green otherwise they’d hog all the food. White was the quiet one, and laid back as well as he let anyone handle him. At ten weeks they were fully weaned and ready to go. Blue went first with the boy she’d nudged out of the crowd. Green followed a breeder out the front gate and Jim had to smile with the knowledge that the breeder was thrilled with the newest addition to the kennel. It seemed so odd that little white was the last one left. He didn’t seem to want anyone and was content to stay by his mother. It wasn’t until T’Pring showed up to consult with Amanda over her bonding with Spock, that white suddenly showed interest.

T’Pring had asked Amanda how Spock would react if she requested that the bond be broken when she felt something tugging at the end of her robes. Puzzled, she looked down to see little white growling and pulling on her clothes. T’Pring reached down and scooped the little cub up and looked at him, uncertain. “I think white has decided on a companion,” Amanda told her.

“White?” T’Pring asked, bringing the cub in closer protectively.

“The ribbon around his neck is how we told him apart from the others. We just called them whatever that color was. That way, their new people could name them themselves,” Jim quietly replied.

“I’ll name him Sodork, after my late brother,” T’Pring said quietly. Amanda nodded and Jim smiled at the quiet tribute to a beloved sibling.

_USS Enterprise_

“Did she just say another mate?” McCoy asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Spock responded, he was finishing preparing for the trip to the other ship. “it does not occur often anymore, but her logic is sound.”

“She doesn’t know me,” McCoy muttered.

“That may be, but she trusts Kirk’s judgment. And, from all reports, you have made an excellent father.”

McCoy stared after the Vulcan in amazement as he wandered off to finish the job Nero started.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s get back to rescued Tesla, shall we? Don’t own them.

_Earth_

“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Tiberius heard Sam’s shouts from across the house. Word had filtered through to the Kirk household about the fate of Vulcan and everyone gathered in Tiberius’ home, hoping for good news.

Tiberius came tearing around the corner, Winona close on his heels, “What is it Sam?”

“Isn’t that Tesla?” Sam asked, pointing at one of the Sehlats being ushered out of a Vulcan ship and onto the Vulcan Embassy grounds.

Tiberius searched the animal long and hard before spotting the tell-tale scar on the shoulder, “Call Starfleet, we’re coming to San Francisco. Aurelan, grab the ball.”

_Vulcan_

Jim and Geoff would never say that their years on Vulcan were easy. The Vulcans worked them hard. Geoff had a lot to learn in two years, and Jim had the same thing in four. T’Nara, T’Pring, and Stonn all helped. It was during his second year that Jim finally met Sarek’s mother, T’Pau. Elderly by Vulcan standards and seemingly frail, she was also short for a Vulcan, standing at 5’6”, she piled her hair on top of her head to make her seem taller. She was formidable. She could, and did, stare down a charging Sehlat, bringing it to a halt. Of course no one mentioned the Sehlat was Tesla who was coming up to say “Hi”, but that was beside the point.

T’Pau entered Sarek’s house for the first time since Jim and Geoff had arrived to announce that Geoff had completed his training satisfactorily, high praise for a Vulcan. He would be receiving his certification in a week. “Thou hast done well, Geoffrey M’Benga, we knew that thou would. Live Long and Prosper,” she saluted him in the Vulcan fashion.

Geoff barely whispered the words, “Peace and Long Life, T’Pau.”

Jim, of course, turned a beaming smile to his friend barely aware that he would soon be leaving. Jim would be leaving back for Earth as well for the summer break, and they would travel in much the same fashion as they had when they first journeyed here, except T’Pring and T’Nara would come with them. T’Nara wanted to see the farm, and T’Pring wanted to see Spock. “Congratulations, my friend!” Jim told him.

“Kirk!” T’Pau’s voice whipped through the room. Jim turned to look at her. “Come here!” she sat on a chair and clearly expected him to comply. He looked around before joining her. She reached up a hand to his face and he merely closed his eyes. He’d mind-melded with several Vulcans before, T’Nara included. They spent minutes motionless as T’Pau searched for whatever it was she wished to find. Finally, she withdrew mind and hand before patting him on his hand, “Thou art a good man, Kirk. T’Nara and Sarek have chosen wisely. Thou hast overcome the hardships of thine past, something my grandson could not do, and become something better. Vulcan will benefit from thine presence here. If thou wish to bond with T’Nara, thou hast the blessings of the Priestesses of Mount Seleya as well as her parents.”

“T’Pau, you honor me with your acceptance,” Jim said.

“I accepted Amanda into my son’s life, and she gave him a son. She has been a good daughter, and he chose well. I will admit that it was not easy for me after his first wife died to accept Amanda, but I did,” she turned knowing eyes on her son and daughter-in-law. “I will see the on the morrow, Geoff,” she departed as quickly as she’d come.

The certification came with an assignment for Geoff. The education came with a required internship to pay off what he’d learned. Of course that came with room, board, and a little income for the next two years. Jim would be doing something similar after he graduated in two more years. He hoped that would be continuing as Sarek’s aide. Sarek had flown in Geoff’s family, and they watched proudly as T’Pau walked over with the sheets of paper that made him what no human had been, able to treat Vulcans competently for his accomplishments. Jim knew that if he joined Starfleet, Starfleet would have one hell of an asset on their hands.

The next day before Jim left he found an article on his PADD sent by Captain Pike that intrigued him. “T’Nara, remember Finnegan and him employer?” he asked.

“Harcourt Fenton Mudd?” T’Nara asked.

“Yes, it seems that Mudd has been charged with piracy and bribery and has fled Earth. Meanwhile, all his assets have been seized and his employees are being questioned,” Jim sighed. “I wonder where this leaves Finney?”

“Do you really care?” T’Nara asked.

“No, just curious. Come on, Tesla! Time for one more out before we board the shuttle!” Tesla romped around the corner as if she truly looked forward to Earth and Dan again.

_Earth_

Charles Geiger looked at them for a long moment, “Come on, I’ll show you where they are.”

There, in a large pen, about twenty Sehlats waited. Tiberius looked around, uncertain which ones were which, “Come on, Tesla! Here’s your ball, Girl!” he even whistled. Taking a deep breath, he threw the little red ball. All but one of the animals just looked at it funny. The last, an older Sehlat with a long scar on her shoulder, went chasing after it with enthusiasm and brought it over to the fence. Charles opened the gate as Tiberius fell to his knees in front of the animal who seemed intent on licking his face. “Good girl, we knew it was you!”

“Good, you’re here!” a voice called from across the compound. They turned to find Admiral Archer coming toward them. “Hello, Tesla,” he said, patting the Sehlat’s head. “Jim and T’Nara are alive. They were picked up by the USS Enterprise as they escaped Vulcan along with about 500 other Vulcans.”

Tiberius closed his eyes, his prayers had been answered, “Now what?”

“We wait. We haven’t had any communications from the Enterprise since they left Earth’s orbit. We know the Enterprise survived because of the ship that transported Jim to the Enterprise. Communications have been blocked ever since.” Tiberius closed his eyes, he just wanted to see his grandson again. He reached out and hugged the animal in front of him again before rising to his knees. Time to get her home.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones. Yes, I made Jocelyn white trash instead of the respectable woman that she’s always been portrayed as. Why not? Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

“Dr. McCoy, why are you convinced you are damaged goods?” a voice asked behind him in the quiet of the Starboard Observation Lounge.

“I was married before, things didn’t work out. It was my fault,” McCoy replied with a shrug.

“May I be the judge of that?” T’Nara asked quietly. “I would mind-meld with you, it would make things easier.” Bones hesitated before nodding his head and sitting in a nearby chair. She gracefully took another before raising her hand to his face. They both closed their eyes…

_Earth_

They sat someplace with tables, an eatery, a café as marked in McCoy’s mind. He waited for friends to join him from school at the nearby university. “You want more coffee while you wait?” a brash female voice asked him.

McCoy looked up to see the waitress standing at his table with a coffee pot. Her name tag read Jocelyn. “Yes, please,” he mumbled. His friends never showed and the coffee tasted funny, it was terrible. He blacked out…

He awoke in someone else’s bed. It was that waitress from the café. His head was splitting like he had the worst hangover ever and there was a bitter taste in his mouth. They were both naked. He didn’t remember anything from the night before, but he definitely wanted to leave.

After dressing he crossed the living room to find three little boys watching cartoons. The youngest had a finger in his mouth as he watched this stranger sneak out the front door…

They were in the doctor’s office. Jocelyn had announced on campus that he was about to be a father. His mother sat next to him holding his hand, his father waited upstairs in his office. The scans had been run, and now everyone waited to see what the results would be. Was the child Jocelyn carried his? What used to take weeks now took only moments and was done where everyone could witness it, no chance of a mix-up.

McCoy wasn’t ready to be a father, but he would do what was right by the child, even if he didn’t love its mother. The doctor studied the results of the test before solemnly announcing that Leonard and Jocelyn were going to have a daughter. Leonard tried to ignore the smug look on Jocelyn’s face. His mother looked stoically ahead. She had to go upstairs to see David and expected to be invited to the wedding. Leonard walked calmly out of the office, turned into a linen closet and broke down and wept…

The night before his wedding took place Leonard was in a seedy bar in downtown Atlanta, all he wanted to do was drown his sorrows. He was doing this for his daughter and the three boys whom he and his parents had grown to love: Gabe-3, Sammy-5, and Johnny-7. They had three different fathers who came and went in their lives, and an, at best, indifferent mother. Leonard looked up and locked eyes with a handsome blonde across the bar. The blonde smiled and flirted with everyone, male and female, before saluting Leonard with his own bottle of beer.

Two more beers later Leonard finally worked up the courage to walk up to the stranger with an unopened bottle of beer and hand it to him. The blonde smiled before asking the bartender to open the bottle as Leonard sat next to him…

Leonard was honestly surprised that they had made it fully clothed to the seedy hotel room in the even seedier hotel. One of many that still dotted Atlanta’s motorways. They didn’t even exchange names. He was a medical student, and the blonde was headed off-world for the chance of a life-time at the famed Vulcan Science Academy. Leonard envied him even as they had sex. It felt good and Leonard wondered, not for the first time, if Jocelyn had drugged him the night she had gotten pregnant. Not that it mattered much, he liked men and women.

The two men’s moans lingered in the room shortly before a wildly flung arm hit a button that caused the bed to vibrate. Leonard and the blonde looked amazed at the bed before settling down to enjoy the unexpected massage. Leonard honestly thought these beds had gone out in the ‘70s, the 1970s. The next morning the blonde was gone, and Leonard married Jocelyn…

“Jocelyn, are you doing drugs?” Leonard finally asked one night.

“What makes you think that?” Joce asked, her words slurred.

“I found a white powdery substance on the nightstand last night. What would happen if I tested it?” he asked. “What are you doing to our baby?”

“I’ll quit! I promise! Please, don’t take away my babies!” she cried in a half-stupor. He quietly agreed, wondering what would happen when Joanna was born…

The baby was beautiful, full-term, and wouldn’t stop crying. The doctors took her to the NICU to run some tests. Leonard quietly asked them to see if she was suffering from cocaine withdrawal. Two hours later CPS took custody of all four children. Even though Leonard was a fit parent, Jocelyn was not, and they could not risk further injury to any of the children. Heartbroken, Leonard let his sister and her husband, Lisa and Albert, take custody of the kids. They didn’t want to go. Little Gabriel kept crying for his Mommy.

Leonard forced Jocelyn into rehab. It was the only way to get the kids back. At least, Leonard thought, they were safe…

Never would Leonard have believed that Jocelyn would hurt any of the kids, even accidentally. But as he stood on the edge of the highway, looking over the guardrail as the highway patrol pulled out three bodies, two of them tiny, he wept. Lisa had called Leonard frantically that night telling him that Sammy and Johnny were missing. Gabe and Jo had had a bad night and had spent it in bed with her and Albert. When they awoke the other two were missing and the front door was wide open. They called the police. Leonard went looking.

He was the one who found the broken guardrail and spotted Jocelyn’s car. A later autopsy would reveal that she had gotten high before she drove the car off the cliff at a high rate of speed. They had all been killed instantly. He turned back to his car to call his sister and their parents. He had never wanted it to end this way…

A week later his father died of a sudden heart attack. He just dropped suddenly in front of Leonard, and in spite of everything that he did, there was no saving David McCoy. Leonard held his mother as she wept. That night, he went out to another seedy bar and started to drink himself into oblivion. He was there every night, leaving Gabe and Jo in his sister’s capable hands. His medical practice suffered as the hospital discharged him as a surgeon. They told him to sober up before he killed someone…

The Starfleet officer named himself as Captain Christopher Pike. He was tall, greying, and very handsome, and extremely interested in one Dr. Leonard McCoy. Leonard shook his head, how he had gotten to this dump on the backside of Iowa was anyone’s guess, but here he was, drinking as usual.

“Shuttle’s leaving for the Academy, tomorrow Leonard. We could use another experienced doctor, you’d be the second on this trip. Riverside shipyards tomorrow, 0700 hours...”

Leo drank, and found himself on the shuttle the next day, against his better judgment. He was also thrown out of the bathroom and next to a tall African man by the name of Geoffrey M’Benga. He was disappointed, feeling somebody else should have been sitting there. They soon became friends, and since they were both doctors, roommates as Geoff shared his adventures on Vulcan with his colleague…

_USS Enterprise_

The meld broke as T’Nara considered McCoy, “You are not broken, Doctor. You’ve just been through a lot in a very short time.”

“Would you still have me, and my children, as part of your family?” Leo asked, pressing his cheek against her cupped hand.

“Yes, I will welcome all of you,” T’Nara replied.


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don’t own them.

_Earth_

Winona met them at the shuttle port with the truck. Turns out that not only Tesla had made it onto the Vulcan ship, but so had T’Pring’s Sodork. Sam and Tiberius had met T’Pring and Sodork at Jim’s graduation from the Science Academy, and were more than willing to take him with them. “Assuming T’Pring survived,” Sam said sadly. Both animals went willingly into the back of the truck, and since Sodork had become accustomed to grass at the Vulcan Embassy, he made the transition back onto solid ground easily.

Dan was ecstatic to have his friend back as old as he was, he suddenly acted like a puppy all over again. Tesla eagerly ran to the fence as she saw him, just as eager to renew acquaintances. Sodork followed slowly, but soon joined in the romp around the yard. Sam taking video. “I just hope Jim, T’Nara and T’Pring are able to appreciate this,” Tiberius murmured.

Sam and Winona joined him at the fence. “John said they were still alive,” Sam told him.

“I can’t believe Jim wouldn’t survive this, it’s not in him to give up. So like his father, never believed in no-win scenarios,” Winona returned. The little red ball made a return appearance as Sodork followed his mother into learning how to play the game of fetch.

_Vulcan_

During the year end break in his second year Jim decided to take up a suggestion to take a three-week study course on Mount Gol. The course was in Kohlinar. Jim would only be there for three weeks, and the monks there were always willing to let people see what the discipline was all about. Jim would not be expected to purge his emotions, no one knew if that was even possible for a human.

Jim, however, looked forward to the idea of learning to control his emotions. Amanda had done the same thing years before, and had recommended it as part of Jim’s training. Years later, facing opponents such as Nero and Khan, and finding Kodos all over again, he would find that training invaluable. T’Nara came over the night before he left and they spent the night in his bed.

“I wish you weren’t going in some ways,” T’Nara sighed.

“Are you going to miss me?” Jim asked teasingly, running his fingers through her hair. Her body shivered at the soft touch as she lay her head on his bare chest.

“A few of those who go to Mount Gol for these workshops commit themselves to the Monks and never return,” she whispered. “They completely wipe their emotions in the Kohlinar.”

“Okay,” Jim replied. “We both know that ain’t gonna happen.” He chuckled as she sighed. “Besides, I could use some emotional discipline. It’ll help me in my future diplomatic career, and dealing with some of these kids.” He was, of course, talking about the kids that he was tasked to go talk to as part of his third year of training. T’Nara suspected that none of them made it easy on him. “Besides, Amanda and Sarek could use the time alone.”

“I suppose that’s true,” T’Nara said softly as they drifted off to sleep.

The first hint that Mount Gol was different from any place on Vulcan was when Amanda suggested that he take his jacket. Turned out that it was high enough to get a little cold, especially at night when the desert dropped to near freezing anyway. When they said Monks they weren’t kidding. Vulcan’s never did anyway. The individual living areas, or cells, could have come straight from a monastery on Earth they were so stark severe. Jim set down his pack and put his things away. He was one of three students making this trek.

Soon, he left his cell and joined the other inhabitants headed for the dining hall. They all sat on the floor behind low lying tables filling the room. The fare was simple: water, bread, something resembling cheese, and fruit. It had taken the three of them most of the day to reach the monastery, and they were all hungry and maybe a little tired. Jim listened to the buzz of conversation around him as everyone spoke of the garden they were tending or various other tasks needed to keep the place running. Several even spoke of attending the Hall of Thought. Jim was interested in seeing it for himself, but not tonight. As dinner came to a close, the leader, T’Yedr, rose and the hall quieted, “We welcome those who join us from the Vulcan Science Academy. They come to learn more of our disciplines and return them to the world. We especially welcome Jim Kirk of Earth. He is the first human to study with us,” she said that with a slight emphasis on _study_.

The hall fell silent as everyone rose to return to their individual tasks and T’Yedr motioned for the students to follow her. “Tomorrow, you will join us for the morning meditation that precedes breakfast. Go, rest, we will start in the morning.” Everyone nodded as they departed. Jim practically fell asleep before he hit the hard pallet that was his bed for the next three weeks.

_Enterprise_

“Take care of them,” McCoy turned, startled when he heard the voice, Jim stood there looking uncertain. “If something happens to me, take care of T’Nara and the twins. They stood outside the transporter room that Jim and Spock were to use to end this.

“Jim, you’ll come back,” McCoy started.

Jim waved him off, “Things happen, people die. I need to know that they’ll be taken care of if something happens.”

McCoy opened his mouth and then stopped himself, “You have my word, Jim.” Jim nodded as he stepped onto the transporter pad. Two women, one Vulcan and one human, hurried into the room behind them. They embraced the men they loved and kissed them murmuring soft words meant only for their ears. T’Nara stepped back next to McCoy and Uhura nearby as Scotty prepared to beam them aboard Nero’s ship.

“So, her first name is Nyota,” Jim said with a slight grin.

T’Nara closed her eyes as McCoy put his arm around her shoulders and Spock spoke, “I’d rather not comment on it.” McCoy grinned as the transporter beam whisked the two men away.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the discipline of the Kohlinar is a little tougher than Jim was expecting. Good thing he’s only there for three weeks! Don’t own them.

_Narada_

Jim slammed into the edge of the platform, desperately trying to hold on and not fall. All the strength and muscles gained from the disciplines learned on Vulcan kicking in as he managed not to fall. Suddenly, his throat was gripped by a Romulan who pulled him up off the ledge. Jim was barely able to breathe, much less speak but managed to gurgle something at the obscenely grinning man in front of him. “You humans are so weak, you can’t even talk. What did you say?”

“I’ve got your gun,” Jim managed to gasp out as he shot the Romulan in the gut, knowing the man’s heart was in that general area. The Romulan went backwards, Jim fell forwards shaking his head. Nero had said something strange, about knowing Jim’s face. That he was considered a great man in his time. He was definitely going to have to talk to old Spock about this. He shook his head again, time to find Pike.

_Vulcan_

Of all the things Jim learned on Vulcan, the discipline on Mount Gol was the most difficult. T’Yedr promised him that it would be. Even those who grew up with the disciplines of Surak often found it difficult. Part of it was easy. Meditation was as much a part of Vulcan as it was on Earth. Jim had learned that discipline as a teenager at a Buddhist Monastery in Tibet. As much as he tried to convince people that his youth was misspent until he went to college, it really wasn’t. He owned a share in the Klingon Prison/Dilithium Mining Planet of Rura Penthe from being an Engineer on a freighter. That also brought in a pretty healthy sum every year. The time between Tarsus IV and the University of Iowa was pretty fuzzy, and Jim preferred it that way, but there was one more matter on his mind he needed to discuss with T’Nara before they really did settle down.

Jim was sitting at a table studying some of Surak’s philosophies when T’Yedr approached him, “You are doing well, Jim. Something, however, is troubling you.”

“You’re willing to listen?” Jim asked. T’Yedr nodded. Jim sighed, “When I was sixteen I met this girl in college. Her name is Carol Marcus. We were…intimate for a couple of years.”

“You had a child?” T’Yedr asked.

“I have a young son, David. She ended the relationship after David was born, saying I was too young and immature. In hindsight, she was right, and I’ve made sure they’re both taken care of, but how do I tell T’Nara?”

“Where is David? On Earth with his mother?” T’Yedr asked.

“No, they’re currently on Starbase 16 near Betazed. Carol went to the Academy soon after she graduated and is a weapon’s specialist in Starfleet. Her father is not too happy with me, but as I don’t plan on joining Starfleet, I don’t see how Admiral Marcus could be a problem,” Jim said sadly.

“Admiral Alexander Marcus?” T’Yedr asked. “You know how to make powerful enemies.”

“I’m not sure I would call us enemies,” Jim replied. “He’s just really annoyed with me. Carol is coming here next month, and I’d like the meeting to be amicable. Carol and I have remained friends, I just don’t know how T’Nara will react.”

T’Yedr actually reached out and touched Jim, “Just tell her the truth, Jim. I’m sure she will understand.” Jim nodded as he returned to his reading. To be honest Jim was ready to leave when the time came. He felt he had gotten his emotions under control, but he still had a long way to go.

The first person he saw was T’Nara who allowed him to wrap his arms around her briefly before Jim sighed, “We need to talk. There’s something you need to know.” They approached Sarek’s home and Amanda smiled at him as they walked through the door. Jim smiled back as they walked to his room. “Please, T’Nara, sit,” T’Nara watched apprehensively as Jim picked up his PADD and went rummaging through it. Finally, he stopped as a picture of a young woman holding a small boy. The boy looked very much like Jim.

T’Nara swallowed, “Who is this?”

“Dr. Carol Marcus and her son, David, our son, David,” he said swallowing.

T’Nara stared at the picture of the beautiful little boy before looking up at him, “Did you marry her?”

“No, we were both young, and I was immature,” Jim replied. “She’s done very well for herself in Starfleet, only, she’s coming here in next month. I want to see David, too. She and another human are coming for some seminars on weaponry and engine design.”

“I’ve hear of those seminars,” T’Nara mused. “Are you friends?”

Jim smiled, “Yes, we are, although her father doesn’t like me very much,” and that launched another explanation of Alexander Marcus.

“I look forward to meeting Carol and David,” T’Nara replied before patting the bed. “Now, I’ve really missed you and would like to show you how much,” she said.

Jim grinned before walking over to make sure the door was closed. No need for prying eyes. But no one could tell then how much Jim’s involvement with Marcus would one day come back to haunt him.

_Narada_

“Jim?” Pike asked, seeing the young man appear seemingly from nowhere. “Where did you come from?”

“Vulcan by way of Earth.” Jim replied as he started unstrapping the Admiral. He was surprised when the Chris pulled out his phaser and fired it at two Romulans after getting the cloak out of the way.

“Take the cloak off, son,” Pike muttered as Jim hauled him to his feet. It didn’t escape Chris’ notice that Jim was limping, and barely able to support Chris’ weight much less his own. Jim held on to Chris as he flipped open his communicator, “Enterprise, now would be a really good time to beam us out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this contains foreshadowing. Admiral Marcus is really pissed off at Jim for knocking up his little girl, even though Jim’s form of child support is part of his share in that aforementioned Dilithium Mining Planet…


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Carol, David, and one other from Star Trek lore. Many have portrayed this man as a bully, but I remember him as Jim’s oldest and closest friend before the events that transpired in “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. Brown Cow, yes, T’Nara is pregnant on the Enterprise. I will explain that when the time comes. Don’t own them.

Jim bounced on the balls of his feet as he and T’Nara awaited the incoming human passengers from Earth. They would be staying with Amanda and Sarek, of course, and Amanda was looking forward to babysitting while Carol attended to various seminars. T’Nara shook her head ruefully, for all his time and work on Vulcan, Jim still showed a certain lack of patience on occasion.

Suddenly, there they were. A petite blonde pushing a stroller conversing with a taller man. T’Nara had to admit that she was pretty, and the four year old was playing with some sort of stuffed animal. Jim smiled as he approached the group before landing the triox compound on both Carol and David. T’Nara obliged the strange man behind them. Jim reached out and hugged Carol before squatting down in front of his son. The boy clearly knew who Jim was as he reached out for him saying, “Daddy! Daddy!”

T’Nara couldn’t help but wonder at the blonde curls all over the little boys head. “Oh, before I forget my manners,” Jim said, “Carol, this is T’Nara.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Carol responded with a strange accent. It took T’Nara to recognize it as a British Accent.

“And I you, and little David,” T’Nara responded.

“Oh, before I forget, the other student on this trip…” Carol said, turning to the man.

Jim let out a huge laugh, “Gary! Gary Mitchell! Wow, I haven’t seen you since…”

“Since you went off-world after driving your father’s car off a cliff in Iowa!” Gary responded with an equally hearty smile and a handshake. “Only you would find a cliff in flat Iowa, Jim! How are you?”

“I’m well,” Jim responded watching T’Nara pick David up. The little boy stared at her a moment before playing with something on her robes. “Let’s get you back to Sarek’s place and get you settled. Amanda is most anxious to meet you.”

The four talked as they got into the car awaiting them. Strollers in the 23rd century still had, apparently, the same issues the ones in the 21st century had in folding up, and it took Carol five minutes to get it to fold properly. Amanda stood at the door awaiting them. She immediately took charge and led Carol to a room holding two bed, one railed for David who was becoming quite fussy. Carol was convinced he was tired because he had missed his nap.

“How do you stand this heat?” Gary asked as they followed Amanda to another room.

“You get used to it,” Jim replied.

“Hey, have you heard about your old roommate from college, Seamus Finnegan?” Gary asked casually. Jim shook his head warily, “Apparently, his employer, Harry Mudd got into a lot of trouble for piracy. Finney barely avoided prison, but his employer is on the lam. Captain Pike might get his wish after all, although, why he would recruit Finney is beyond me.”

Jim sighed. “Only Finny would get involved with a pirate,” Jim muttered, conveniently forgetting some of his own shady past. Gary told Jim he was tired, and was going to take a nap. Jim grinned, remembering his first days on Vulcan, and left Gary to his own devices.

Tesla’s reaction to David was anything but typical. She actually hid behind Jim and T’Nara as Carol brought the child down to her level. Jim coaxed, cajoled, and finally dragged the heavy Sehlat out of her hiding place. David put out a tiny hand to the animal who sniffed it. She apparently still remembered being used for pony rides on Earth and was wary of yet another human child. He touched her very gently and rubbed his hand along her nose, that was it, they were fast friends after that. Jim would come across them later that night and find David using Tesla as a pillow who watched him as protectively as any mother. Jim took a picture and sent it to Carol, who came out of her room in a robe and watched the pair for a moment. “He’s not going to get into trouble with her around,” Jim said.

Carol laughed, “True, okay, what about T’Nara? Are you two involved?” Carol practically pounced.

“Yes, Carol, we are. Is that a problem?” Jim asked.

“Oh, please, I’m not my father, and I like T’Nara, she’s well suited to you,” Carol said with a gentle smile.

“What about you?” Jim asked. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“No, not right now. I’m trying to get everything in order to return to Earth. Daddy has gotten me a teaching position at the Academy. Chris doesn’t mind, he says I’m well qualified to teach advanced weapons technology.” They continued talking long into the night.

 


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary really is a good friend! Those of you on Fanfiction, this is another one of those edited chapters that you will find on my AO3 account in its full form. Enjoy! Don’t own them.

The next day, just before Gary’s first seminar at the Academy, he handed Jim a package. “Your Grandfather, T, sent this. Said this might be fun.”

The glint in Gary’s eyes made Jim reach into the container. It was a stasis container containing playful edibles. “Grandpa sent me strawberries and whipped cream? Fresh strawberries and a whipped cream canister? Wow, didn’t think he could get naught in his old age.”

“T was young once too, Jim,” Gary said with a laugh. “How in the world do you think your father and got started?”

“Not the image I was hoping for, Gary!” Jim exclaimed as his friend bent double in laughter.

Gary gasped out, “No…I bet…you were…hoping for…an image…of…a…naked T’Nara…in your bed!” Jim just nodded, completely unable to respond. Finally, catching his breath, Gary asked, “Are you coming to some of the seminars, Jim?”

“A couple as required by my instructors. I have classes this morning, so I’m unable to attend them,” Jim told him.

“Are you really studying diplomacy?” Gary asked.

“Yep, and I’m Ambassador Sarek’s aide, so I’m getting practical experience as well,” Jim said with a lopsided grin. They had reached the steps leading to the Academy at this point in the conversation and turned in opposite directions. Jim did receive several curious looks as he passed with the package under his arm.

* * *

T’Nara lay in Jim’s bed, blindfolded. Jim had simply asked her to trust him, and, somewhat reluctantly, agreed to this. She felt something cool and roundish enter her mouth. It also had a curiously rough texture. She bit into it and allowed the juices to flow into her mouth and over her taste buds savoring the sweet taste. “Jim, what IS that?” she asked.

Jim fed her a little more, “That succulent little morsel is called a strawberry. Gary brought it in stasis all the way from Earth.” She hears something hiss and finds his finger plopping something cool and wet and sweet in her mouth. It’s also really good. Jim grins as he sighs in contentment. Vulcans may not show their emotions in public, but get them in alone with someone they trusted and they displayed emotions like everyone else. “That is whipped cream. Now, people have been known to combine the two over the centuries to make dessert, or make someone into a dessert,” he said. She heard the hissing sound again as the whipped cream is applied to her right breast around the nipple. She giggled as a strawberry lands on the nipple. He paid the same amount of attention to her left breast.

“So, you’re making me into your own personal dessert?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah,” he replied. She gasped as his tongue made contact with the affected area. First, he licked the cream off the aureole. He took his time his tongue lapping at the sweetness on her breast. Then, instead of picking up the fruit, his tongue dove under the fruit and tickled the nipple. His lips soon closed over the nipple and he began to suck and chew at the same time.

“Mmmmm, you’re very talented, Mr. Kirk,” she practically purred.

“Well, thank you, Miss T’Nara,” he said with a grin his mouth full of strawberry and nipple. He treats the other nipple in the exact same fashion causing T’Nara to laugh. She soon feels a line of cool wetness extending down her abdomen to her private parts, which he also covers in the cream. “I’ll leave the rest of the strawberries where we can both enjoy them later,” he promises. He kisses his way down her abdomen, scooping up the cream as he goes. She enjoyed the feeling as he finally made his way to her pussy. He started licking that clean. He paid special attention to that area most sensitive in women. “No need to let that stay dirty,” he told her. She moaned as he licked her clit and his fingers invaded her vagina. “Just to make sure none strayed in there,” he assured her. Her hands strayed to his hair as he continued licking and invading her most willing person.

“May I take off the blindfold?” she asked just after she locked up in her orgasm.

“Sure,” Jim replied.

T’Nara pulled it off and noted that Jim was very hard. “Lie down,” she ordered. He complied and within moments she had the canister figured out as she was liberally coating his dick with it. She started with his balls and licked. He laid back and moaned as she finished cleaning that area. Instead of licking his cock, she started on top and started sucking on it. Slowly she took it into her mouth, applying more whipped cream as needed. By the time she had reached the base, her hair and her face were liberally decorated with the creamy stuff, but she barely seemed to notice as Jim’s hips started to jerk, warning her he was close.

T’Nara pulled off and leaned forward, kissing Jim opened mouth. He reciprocated as she rose from her kneeling position and straddled his hips. He grasped her hands as she impaled herself on his cock. They nearly lurched out of bed as the hot sensation made them cum together instantly. In that moment, Jim briefly wondered just how linked their minds really were. All thought fled as her hips pumped up and down on his shaft, muscles clenching around him. Nothing had ever felt this good, he told himself as they both came again.

Jim reached down and pulled a strand of hair from her face, “You’re a mess.” She lay contentedly on his chest, refusing to move.

“You should see yourself,” she said as he pulled up the light blanket from the foot of the bed so the desert night would not wake them.

* * *

“So,” Gary asked the next morning, “how was your night?” Jim just smiled at him as he walked to his classes. Today, he would be joining one of the seminars on “Gunboat Diplomacy”. Basically, this meant, peace at the after a long war, or cold war, and neither side is particularly happy about it

“What is termed as ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’ is generally two or more parties being forced to the table because the conflict they are involved in is resulting in neither side getting anywhere, and the cost being extremely high. The Cold War of the 20th Century, and the pre-Surak era here on Vulcan being good examples. Humans were arguing over the numbers of nuclear weapons, Vulcans had moved past that point and were actually using them liberally,” T’Sera, the Vulcan instructor, was telling them.

“After the Eugenics Wars of the early 21st Century, World War III came as a natural outcome as many missiles were used by all sides to conquer Earth. That did not occur, and the survivors came up with their own solution,” a picture Jim knew all too well came up. “The Phoenix, it was built from the very means of destruction that wreaked havoc on the Earth. Zephram Cochrane and many others turned this nuclear bomb into Earth’s first warp capable space craft. This, of course, initiated First Contact when Vulcans landed on Earth later that day.”

A hand went up, “Can this kind of diplomacy be used effectively?”

“It generally ends in a stalemate. On 20th Century Earth, it delayed the war nuclear war long enough for one of the major powers to completely disintegrate. It was still there, but it was a shell of what it once was,” T’Sera went on and soon broke the audience up into smaller groups. The idea was that they would head home, pick a time when this kind of diplomacy was used, put their own spin on it and let the audience decide how the outcome might have been different with their approach. Jim’s group took the American Civil War of the 19th Century and planned to meet up in the library later that day.


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, enough of the pity poor me prose, Jim and company discuss their assignment. BTW, I’m from Texas, and have heard the Civil War referred to as the “War of Northern Aggression” too. Which, doesn’t make any sense since we started it. Before you sit there and tell me it’s because my family’s not from the south, my great grandfather owned slaves. Don’t own them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just to let you know. My writing will continue to slow down. First, I’m moving out of my apartment and into a shelter. This sounds drastic, but I can no longer afford where I’m living, and with my Mom’s illness, unwilling to subject my family to my continued financial irresponsibility. I have a storage unit that everything except that poster from Tex Trek and a few other items are going in. I have a friend who is willing to take those items for me. I’d post a picture of the poster on AO3, but haven’t quite figured out how to post pics there. It was hand drawn by Jamie Murray and has pictures of George Takei (Sulu), Grace Lee Whitney (Rand), and Colm Meaney (ST:DS9’s Chief O’Brien), and their autographs on it. Tells you why I want it in a safer place. Not to mention I have people at work who threaten on a regular basis to steal it if given half a chance. I’ll be availing myself of the library services on my days off, but that’s only two days a week, and a couple of hours a day, darn it. Goal for me is to save up money, finish my degree (Associate in Science, oddly enough), and save up enough money to move back to my home town and not worry about where I’m going to live anymore.

Carol chewed on the end of the eraser of her pencil. She and the others in her group: Jim, Gary, T’Nara, a fellow student Soldor, and an Andorian K’Rod, who had come specifically for the seminars, sat around a table in Sarek’s house, in bathrobes and their underwear. The reasoning had come from K’Rod, strangely enough, who announced he thought better on a full stomach and stark naked. Nobody really wanted to see him naked, least of all Amanda, so they compromised, bathrobes and lunch.

“Do you understand this?” T’Nara asked Carol. “It is part of your history.”

“Yes and no,” Carol replied. “While it is part of Earth’s history, it’s part of North America’s history. England was not an ‘active’ participant.” She looked down at the paper upon which she had jotted down notes. “The major factor in the American Civil War was slaves. Everything from the Missouri Compromise to the election of Abraham Lincoln had some impact on where slaves could be owned, who could own them, and what rights their owners had over them. Am I right?” Carol asked.

Jim looked up, “Pretty much. Both sides were pointing fingers at each other, and by the time of the attack on Fort Sumter, it had pretty much been a draw. Lincoln’s election was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.”

Gary was quickly sketching out a timeline, “We’ll start with the founding of the United States Republic and the decision to bar the importation of slaves from outside the US. Move on to the Missouri Compromise,” Gary continued to list the situations leading up to the civil war. “Then we’ll end it with the consequences still seen up until World War III.”

T’Nara nodded, “At that point survival would have been paramount and no one would have cared what your skin color was.”

“Is it true that religion was used to justify much of what was enacted during this period?” Soldor asked.

“And it was used by the other side as well,” Gary responded. “Religion can be a very contrary thing.”

“What do you believe,” Soldor asked Gary.

Gary smiled. “To thine own self be true,” he quoted softly. “A very Quaker idea.” Jim nodded knowingly as they continued through their presentation. “Who’ll give the presentation?” Gary asked.

“I think Carol should do it,” Jim replied.

“Me?” Carol asked absently. “What about the rest of you?”

“We’ll be helping answer any questions that will arise when you are done,” T’Nara responded.

“So what part of this whole thing could be considered ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’?” Soldor asked, keeping everyone firmly on topic. The subsequent discussion ranged from the Kansas-Nebraska Act to Reverend John Brown. Carol continued to jot down notes and chew on her eraser. It was a bad habit that her father had tried many times to break her of, unsuccessfully she might add. Finally, K’Rod finally managed to type out a report of their findings.

“T’Sera should find this acceptable,” T’Nara announced.

“I hope so,” Jim groused, “this is a major part of our grade. Won’t move on to the final year without it.”

Soldor and T’Nara both nodded as Gary, Carol and K’Rod looked at them. “No wonder you worked so hard on this,” Gary finally told him.

“Yes, next year we spend some time teaching the young as well,” T’Nara told him.

“Is that mandatory?” K’Rod asked.

“It is felt that if we can get this across to young, stubborn minds, we might stand a chance of getting it across to old, intractable minds,” T’Nara replied.

Carol laughed softly, “A very sound idea.”

They were the first presentation that morning. Murphy’s Law seemed to kick in as everything that could go wrong did, spectacularly. First, Jim came down with a cold that made him sound like he was talking through his nose. He made it to the presentation but his voice gave out and he couldn’t answer any questions. Second, an emergency came up and Amanda was unable to watch David, so they took him with them. He stubbornly would not sit still, and would cry every time they put him back in the stroller.

Then, the projector broke, or the power went out, and everyone had to make their way out of the auditorium and into the harsh, Vulcan sun. Jim suddenly had an inspiration, though. Taking the diagram of their presentation, he drew it in the sand with a stick. Each box was drawn large enough so people could see what was written in it as Carol went through it. Then, to top it all off, a sandstorm blew through causing everyone to hurry inside where there was still no power. They stayed in the foyer as they took questions.

T’Sera was suitably impressed and marked a high score for Jim, T’Nara, and Soldor. “Gary, Carol, and K’Rod, you will receive my highest recommendation when you return to your respective homes.” Cheers went up from the non-Vulcans in the group. At that moment, the power chose to come back on as someone had fixed whatever was wrong with the projector causing it to short circuit everything. Jim was skeptical about that. Vulcans were very thorough when it came to that sort of thing.

The next day Jim had to say good-bye to Carol, Gary, and his son David. T’Nara watched with intense interest as Jim hugged his son during the farewells. “I’ll be in touch,” he told Carol.

“You hang onto that one,” Carol told him softly. “She’s a keeper.” Carol kissed Jim’s cheek softly and slowly entered the shuttle that would take them to the ship headed home.

“Jim,” T’Nara asked seriously. “Would you like more children?”

“I thought humans and Vulcans couldn’t…” he left the sentence hanging.

“Not naturally, no,” T’Nara replied. “But the Vulcan Science Academy has done it before.”

“Spock,” Jim replied, remembering Amanda and Sarek’s wayward son.

“Spock,” T’Nara answered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Does that mean?” Jim asked, heart in his throat.

“When we complete the Academy next year,” T’Nara replied. “Let’s approach T’Pau. We already have my parent’s approval for the bonding. I just want to be more…settled.”

Jim nodded as he wrapped his arms around his beloved. She had just made all of his dreams come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this means there’s a betrothal ceremony, Vulcan style, happening in the somewhat near future. Please provide feedback. Oh, one other thing, I would love to have artwork for this series, but I couldn’t draw a straight line if someone gave me a ruler. Someone else would have to do it, and then teach me how to post it on AO3, hint hint. You can find links to my AO3 site on my fanfiction page.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m still alive, I promise! Jim faces his toughest audience ever, teenagers! This chapter ties in with another story on the AO3 site, What Do You Do with a Drunken Doctor? Well, it will eventually. When I get to that part of that story. Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

Jim watched as McCoy grabbed Chris and took off for Sickbay. At least, that’s where he thought they were going. Chris was in bad shape. Spock’s raised eyebrow told him he wasn’t in much better shape either. Jim simply nodded to Spock as they left for the Bridge. Jim still limped. T’Nara was going to kill him.

_Vulcan_

On the outside, Jim looked serene. Every inch the student of Vulcan he had become in the last three years. On the inside, he was terrified. This was his first class in Earth history, and he barely remembered to grab his materials on the way out the door this morning. Who was he kidding? If Amanda hadn’t have thrust it into his hands, he would have forgotten **everything**. After three deep breaths he entered the classroom and nodded at the teacher, Tundor. The Vulcan nodded back as the bell rang.

“Class,” Tundor told his solemn audience, “this is Mr. Kirk. He will be introducing you to Earth history.” Jim panicked as he watched Tundor nod to him again and turn to leave.

Jim turned back to the class. This was a traditional looking classroom. Tests were given by computers in pits, even Vulcans had found that most subjects were best taught with a teacher and students. Jim bit back his first instinct, which was to smile. “Good morning, everyone, I am indeed Mr. Kirk,” he said as he turned his back to his audience to place his work on the desk. Something small collided with his neck. Jim looked down to find what looked suspiciously like a spitball on the ground. He chose to ignore it, he also chose to ignore what sounded suspiciously like a giggle behind him.

“As you can tell, I’m human, and I am currently attending the Vulcan Science Academy as well as being an aide to Ambassador Sarek,” Jim continued.

A hand went up in the back. “Is it true your ancestor, one Dr. James Kirk, worked with Dr. Cochrane on the Phoenix?” the young man asked after being acknowledged.

“Yes, he and his partners, Dr. McCoy and Elise Derinda, my several times great grandmother, all assisted in that effort,” Jim replied.

“Partners?” another asked.

“Yes, partners, Dr. Kirk was gay, but after the Eugenics Wars, World War III, and the five plagues that followed, he felt it best to contribute to the genetic diversity of the human species, and found someone who was willing to work with him on that,” Jim responded. “You need to understand, 40 million people died in World War III alone…” Jim told them.

“But the worldwide population was 6 billion,” someone else spoke up.

“Before the Eugenics Wars, yes, it was, but two wars and five plagues managed to reduce that number to around five hundred million worldwide,” he said quietly. “We had lost much of our medical technology. Diseases that had been wiped out: cancer, polio and other viruses and ills that had plagued mankind for millions of years came back to haunt us. Many felt that we were in the Biblical last days. Well, we’re still here,” he said with an inward grin.

“First, we’re going to start with the Religions of the different regions, and how they shaped the attitudes and political cultures of many parts of Earth. We’re going to start off in the Far East with Hinduism and Buddhism. Then we’ll talk about Judaism, Christianity and Islam and how the clash between the Eastern and Western religions proved a breeding ground for both the terrorism of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but led to the rise of the Khans,” Jim said, sending them the information he wanted them to have before sitting down, and rising quickly back up again. He again heard that faint giggle.

When Tundor returned, the class had left and Jim sat at the desk with a variety of objects in front of him. The tack that had caused him not to sit down in the chair, the spitball gun, a handheld communicator that Silek was NOT supposed to have in class, but went off and was confiscated. Various little instruments of torture that made Jim realize that Vulcan students really weren’t all that different from their human counterparts, no matter what their elders said.

“They kept you occupied,” came the calm observation.

“ **When** do they learn self-control?” Jim asked.

“They are taught discipline from an early age,” Tundor replied. “But, they are adolescents.”

“And as such they are to be forgiven for the little stuff,” Jim replied getting up from the chair. “They’re a challenge, and I like a challenge.”

Tundor nodded, “They are a handful.” Jim left with an idea of how he would handle the next class.

_USS Enterprise_

“Wait? You don’t want to show them mercy?” Jim asked incredulously.

“Surprisingly,” Spock told, “I could care less. You know what they destroyed.”

Jim nodded, remembering Vulcan’s stark beauty, and suddenly mourning Amanda and Tesla. There was no way she could have gotten off Vulcan, no matter what his heart told him.

_A certain Iowa farm on Earth_

Tesla leaned into Tiberius’ knee as he scratched hers and Dan’s heads. They watched the fire in the fireplace burn as Aurelan came in with hot chocolate. No one had the courage to turn on the news, unable to face what might have happened to Jim. Dan licked Tiberius’ hand as Sam accepted a cup from the tray Aurelan carried. “Do we dare hope Jim is still alive?” Sam asked into the quiet room.

“There is always hope,” Tiberius responded. Tesla sighed as she slid to the floor for a nap. “We can always hope.”


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m still not moved out, but I was inspired to write this chapter by, of all things, hair. Mine, kinda, although it’s not red or long, it is curly. Don’t own them.

_USS Enterprise_

Years into their respective partnerships, Bones would learn something very interesting. T’Nara could get Jim to do anything she wanted him to do, if he could brush her hair. She had long, curly, red hair that was silky to the touch, and Bones would come to understand Jim’s obsession with it. Today, it was a shock when he walked into Sickbay to find Jim sitting on a biobed with T’Nara in a chair in front of him, and he was brushing her hair.

T’Nara’s hair only fell to her mid-back, but Jim treated it like a work of art. He gathered up sections and brushed it until it was shiny and tangle-free, give it two more strokes, and moved on to another section. By the time Jim was done, Bones could have sworn all his nurses wanted to take T’Nara’s place. “So,” Bones finally said, breaking the peaceful moment, “What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“Jim needs to be checked out,” T’Nara stated, “He has bruises everywhere, and he is limping. If this hadn’t worked, I’d considered having Spock pick him up bodily and bring him down here.”

A pained expression crossed Jim’s face as Bones chuckled, “Let’s not get personal about this, T’Nara.”

“I will get as personal as I need to, Jim,” she said forcefully, poking him in the stomach, which proceeded to growl. Jim groaned as he lay down on the bed.

Bones peered up at the stats as Jim and T’Nara waited patiently, “You sprained your knee and pulled the long muscles in your calf. I don’t currently have the equipment to fix it, when we get to Earth you can.” Bones pulled a brace out of a nearby supply closet and a pair of crutches, “I’m afraid we’ll have to do this the old fashioned way until then…”

Bones’ voice trailed off a T’Pring came running into the room, “Jim! T’Nara! It’s Tesla and the rest. I just received word from the Vulcan Consulate on Earth that Tesla made it onto a Vulcan transport and are currently at T’s on Earth!”

“Tesla? T?” Bones asked. T’Pring shaved the PADD into Jim’s shaking hands as he beheld his beloved friend romping around the farm with Dan. Tiberius and Aurelan waving at the camera in the background as Sam threw ball. “What is THAT?” Bones asked pointing at the pair.

“THAT is a dog, Bones, a Great Dane to be precise,” Jim responded with a glint in his eye. Bones glared at him, “The other is Tesla, a Sehlat, and native to Vulcan. Don’t worry, you two will get along. The only thing she doesn’t like are squirrels, and Klingons.”

“Has good taste,” Bones muttered as the red alert sirens sounded once more.

_Vulcan_

Jim buried his face in the crook of T’Nara’s neck and nibbled. She sighed and leaned back against him. The lay in her bed comfortably as the evening shadows fell. A light blanket covered them both as they basked in the glow of each other’s company. Neither was willing to voice what was on their minds, they would both graduate at the end of the Academic year, and while it seemed likely that Jim would stay on Vulcan as Sarek’s aide, nothing was set in stone.

“Jim?” T’Nara asked, turning in his arms to face him. “Are you sure you don’t want to return to Earth?”

Jim wrapped his arms around her, “All of my life I’ve been searching for something, someone, and now I’ve found it.” He kissed her, he caressed her, and even managed to reassure her, “Even Sarek would like me to stay.”

“Your family on Earth…” she whispered.

“Grandpa wants me to be happy, and he knows I’m happy with you. I can always go visit,” he whispered into her hair. “Sit up,” he told her. She turned away to sit on the edge of the bed. Her bare skin beckoned. Instead, he reached into the drawer and pulled out her brush. She reacted with a sigh, his hands were gentle as he ran it through her hair. “I love your hair,” he murmured. “I love you.” She turned her head slightly and he kissed her again. They broke long enough for him to finish.

“Tomorrow, you go back to that class,” T’Nara said. “I hope they haven’t put you off having children.”

Jim chuckled, “A little late for that. Carol sent more pictures of David. He’s getting into everything, and he’s really smart.”

“Well, considering his parents, I’m not surprised,” T’Nara replied. She grabbed the brush from his hand and placed it back in the drawer. She pressed herself against him, “I’d like to try something else now.”

“Now?!” Jim asked with a laugh.

“Now,” she replied emphatically as they both lay back down. Soon, she lay gasping and moaning beside him as he considered just how lucky he had been to find her. Then, all thought fled as he joined in her ecstasy.

 


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Sarek sit down to talk about a subject that will be important in the future. I’m obviously not talking about sex here! lol Don’t own them.

The part of the Academy that was in charge of genetic engineering, specifically the baby Jim and T’Nara were hoping to have, was tucked into a back hallway with maybe seven rooms. The rooms were small but efficiently laid out. What almost made Jim laugh was it reminded him of those old films of sperm donor clinics. He walked in, told them his name, and was directed into a room with plenty of porn. All kinds of porn. Every conceivable alien, including humans and Vulcans, three sexes: male, female, and neutral, and many types of sex, hetero, homo, tentacle, orgies, three ways. Jim wondered if they had left anything out. Unfortunately, the naked pictures of Vulcans looked more like they were mug shots, not helping!

Jim looked at the cup he’d been handed and the part of his body that was supposed to be aroused and sighed before picking up his comm.

 **Jim:** Are you alone?

 **T’Nara:** Why? Aren’t you at the Academy?

 **Jim:** Yeah, and what they gave me to get the sample isn’t helping.

 **T’Nara:** Need some help?

 **Jim:** Please!!!!!

Jim’s PADD beeped as a video message was signaled to be coming in. Jim set the PADD where he could see it and turned it on. T’Nara had escaped into a restroom and winked at Jim before opening the dress, that she had conveniently donned that morning, open, button by button. Jim watched as she turned her back and threw a wink over her shoulder as she shrugged out of the garment. She was definitely doing the trick as Jim’s member rose to the occasion. She turned to show him a little, lacy, red negligee that he could see right through.

Jim watched with intent, almost forgetting to grab the cup, as T’Nara reached up and thumbed the spaghetti straps of the nightwear and slowly pulled them off her shoulders and down her arms baring her breasts. Those perfect breasts did the trick as Jim soon emptied himself into the cup, twice. He picked up his comm:

 **Jim:** Thank you. See you tonight? In that little piece?

 **T’Nara:** Wouldn’t want to waste it now that you’ve seen it. See you at 7. Oops. Gotta go!

Jim spent a few minutes cleaning himself up after securing the lid on the cup before exiting the room. The scientist accepted the sample, simply nodding her head, before turning back into another room. Jim had no classes this day, but he was due back at Sarek’s to help him with preparations for a conference at the end of the week. Fortunately, the conference was here on Vulcan, and Jim would be attending with the Ambassador. The conference was on a very odd subject, a species that hadn’t been seen by the Federation, and not by any Vulcan in thousands of years: Romulans.

Jim had mixed feelings on the subject. No one would ever know what his life would have been like if his father hadn’t been killed on the Kelvin on the day he was born. His mom had worked hard but was absent, and Frank had been downright mean. Jim had grasped at the lifeline the VSA had thrown him. He had wanted to continue his education, but hadn’t quite been sure how he’d managed it before the invitation to take the exam. The twists and turns his life had taken was breath taking. He might have been in jail now, or worse, at Starfleet Academy. Geoff was still in touch with him. He told him the Academy really wasn’t that bad.

Jim entered the home and met Sarek in the library. “Were you successful?” Sarek asked.

“Yeah, had to get T’Nara to help though,” Jim admitted turning beet red.

“Yes, I had to have similar assistance from Amanda. Through my PADD, of course,” Sarek replied. Jim chuckled and nodded before retrieving his own PADD and sitting down at a table where Sarek joined him. “What do you know about Romulans?”

“Not much is known,” Jim told him. “I was the baby born the day the USS Kelvin was destroyed. George Kirk was my father.”

“Thousands of years ago, when the followers of Surak started to emerge, we were not united. Surak’s teachings were scorned as war continued to escalate. What is not widely known is that most of Surak’s acolytes were on the ships that fled Vulcan and became Romulans,” Sarek told him.

Jim sat silently. When he spoke, it was deliberate, “Then, how is it you follow his teachings and not the Romulans?”

“We’re not entirely sure as we have had no contact with our cousins for millennia. We can only surmise. Not all of Surak’s followers boarded those ships that day, and not everyone who got on those ships followed his teachings. Perhaps, those who followed the old ways were able to overwhelm those who followed Surak,” Sarek told him. “Surak died during the chaos that the attack engendered. That’s how the old school Vulcans got on board the ships to begin with.” Jim nodded as he made notes on his PADD.

“They fled because they feared Vulcan was doomed without Surak. It is ironic that they condemned their descendant to the lifestyle they were fleeing,” Sarek said. They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the conference, and likelihood anything would come out of it. “Are you seeing T’Nara tonight?” Sarek asked.

“Yes,” Jim told him. “I’ve already told Amanda.”

Sarek nodded his head, “Good. Jim, are you returning to Earth next year?”

“I’ve spoken to my family, and, no, I have no plans to return permanently to Earth. I will go for a visit after graduation,” Jim responded.

“I will have a formal job offer ready for you before that time. For a more permanent position in my staff,” Sarek responded.

“Thank you,” Jim responded with a nod.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, next chapter will include a more personal view of that negligee! Please, read and review.


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The negligee, news from the homefront as Tesla makes an appearance. Don’t we love that Sehlat. If anyone’s up to making a Tesla plushie, I call dibs! Don’t own them. Except Tesla, she’s mine.

“Hey, Grandpa, what’s up?” Jim asked. He could see Gary hovering over T’s shoulder. He looked sharp in his cadet reds and bursting with news.

“How’s Tesla?” T asked.

Jim started laughing as Tesla reared up on her back legs and resting her forelegs at making squeaks at one of her favorite humans. Jim rubbed affectionately between her ears. T and Gary smiled at their favorite Vulcan. “As you can see, she’s doing just fine, and so is T’Nara. I have some news. We’re being bonded. It’s kind of a pre-marriage before the marriage.”

“An arranged marriage only you did the arranging, Jim?” Gary asked with a laugh. Jim smiled back. “Hey, there’s this guy I met on the shuttle here, Jim. You should meet him sometime. Would you believe he’s aviophobic and joined Starfleet?”

“Wait, he’s afraid of flying and joined Starfleet?” Jim asked laughing. “What’s his name?”

“Dr. Leonard McCoy, he came to Starfleet already degreed, and an ex-wife and a daughter to top it all off. Told me he was left with nothing to his name but his bones. He’s a good guy, you’d like him. Uh, Jimmy, Finney did make it into the Academy,” Gary told him.

Jim sighed. He wasn’t that surprised. Finney’s family had money. “I’ve been extended a job offer after graduation here on Vulcan. Sarek would like to keep me on as an aide, and T’Nara and I have started on the road to having a baby,” Jim told them.

“Congratulations!” T and Gary both exclaimed. “When?”

“Well, it’s a little impersonal. We both had to make a donation to the Academy so they could make our genes…mesh,” Jim said.

“Sounds complicated,” Gary said with a laugh. “Hey, there’s this hot little number at the Academy. Well, she and her roommate, Uhura. Girl wouldn’t give me the time of day, but the Ice Queen’s roommate is Orion, and they’re everything they say about them,” Gary said.

“Gary, you’ll never change,” Jim said with a laugh. “T’Nara and I hope you’ll make it to our graduation. It is next year.”

“I’ll see if Captain Pike will let me do that,” Gary told him.

“Tell him he’s invited too,” Jim said with a laugh.

“Sure thing, Jim,” T replied. “Bye Tesla!” he said waving at the Sehlat who grumbled happily back at them.

Jim turned to his desk with a sigh. He picked up his PADD. He and Sarek were due back on Betazed next week during a scheduled break in the academic year for a conference. It was on the Klingon matter. He needed to arrange Sarek’s schedule while at the conference so he could make everything he needed to make. Tesla slid to the floor and lay her head on a paw.

Jim rose an hour later to work on homework for the Academy and absently ate lunch with Amanda and Sarek. That night he set out for T’Nara’s parent’s house. They needed to work out some details with the upcoming betrothal ceremony. T’Nara kept giving Jim coy glances during dinner. T’Sara nodded her head looking at her daughter. “We will finish up, daughter. You two go on and study. You still have much work to do before the Bonding Ceremony and graduation.”

Jim whispered to T’Nara, “What do I wear? Do I have anything appropriate?”

“Amanda is already arranging your robes for the ceremony. Just put them on and show up,” she replied leading him by the hand into her room. He closed the door behind him and she leaned into him. “I love you,” she whispered. “Hold up your right hand two fingers extended,” she told him. He complied and she laid her own two fingers across them. “This is considered acceptable for bonded pairs in public.”

“The Vulcan version of hand holding?” Jim asked. T’Nara looked at him strangely. “Never mind,” he said. He sat down and started unbuttoning her dress. She sighed as it came open and pushed it down her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about this little number all day,” he whispered. He nuzzled her cleavage, “Any sort of touching is acceptable in private.”

“Of course, what happens behind closed doors happens behind closed doors,” she said as he reached between her legs and massaged her little node. She moaned as he used his other hand to remove a strap and moved to the breast. He pulled her erect nipple into his mouth. She put both arms on his shoulders and spread her legs as his hand probed her nether regions.

“You are wet,” he told her not letting up for a second.

“You do that to me,” she whispered. He drew back and blew on her nipple before rising and maneuvering her onto the bed. Jim removed his clothes and joined her hovering over her and kissing her. The red lace enhanced her skin the patterns shifted with her movements. Jim left a trail of kisses down her abdomen moving the negligee just enough to not miss a spot as he reached her nub. He kissed first her left thigh and then her right before sucking at her clit. He felt her shudder underneath him as he inhaled her intoxicating scent.

Jim’s tongue touched her clit and she jumped slightly at the rough touch against a sensitive area. Her moans were music to his ears as he licked her jewel and two fingers entered her womanhood. Her fingers ran through his hair as he continued his assault, pumping his fingers in and out of her. Another finger joined the other two as her breathing became faster and more labored. She suddenly came her honey pouring out as he licked her clean. He pressed forward, lying down next to her and bringing his hand up to her. She took in a finger, tasting herself on him. She pressed herself against him, kissing him with an open mouth. He pressed himself against her. She sighed as he ran a hand up her back and leveraged herself to roll over so they were face-to-face. He watched as she removed the now ruined garment and ran his hands up to her breasts where he cupped and played with them. She reached behind her and ran a hand up his hard shaft. “You’re playing my song,” he told her quietly.

“I always know your song,” she told him as she rose and maneuvered her way back. Without another word she impaled herself on his manhood. He sighed as her velvety warmth enveloped him. She pressed the palms of her hands and raised her hips up before falling back down. He raised his own hips to meet her, thrusting into her as she shifted position to find a perfect position for her. She soon found it as her vaginal muscles’ clenching became faster and more urgent. He reached up and put a hand between their bodies, swiping at her clit as they continued. With a groan she came, slumping down on top of him.

Jim ran a hand through her hair as she recovered. He was still hard inside her and she lifted her head up and looked at him. He kissed her slowly and sensuously as she ran her hands over his arms. She slowly got up and got up on her hands and knees. He went behind her as she rested her arms on the pillow and he thrust himself back into her. T’Nara closed her eyes and savored the feelings within her, wishing that she could conceive this way. Her hands curled around the pillow as she pushed back against his thrusts feeling him quicken his pace. He was close, she knew it. She raised a hand to her breast and played with it as he continued his movements. His long, hard cock doing wicked things to her body. She exploded and he did as well, his hot seed pouring deep inside her.

T’Nara slid to a prone position on the bed as Jim lay next to her. “We need a bigger bed,” he murmured, wedged against the wall.

“Mother promised me one for the Bonding Ceremony,” she said sleepily.

“Good,” he responded sliding into sleep beside her.

**If anyone would like to illustrate this story, I’m all for it. My AO3 account would allow a way to publish them, I just haven’t figured out how to insert drawings or pictures. Instruction would be welcome! Personally, I’m artistically challenged, unless you’re talking about singing, I’m good there.**


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Jim’s Bonding Day, and he’s a little nervous. Amanda couldn’t be prouder and she and Sarek wonder if they’ll ever see Spock take the next step. Don’t own them.

Jim looked in the mirror. Vulcans had mirrors, at least the one living with humans. The robes he wore were a dark russet color and brand new. They were embroidered with Sarek’s house’s sigils in gold. Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Jim called.

Amanda entered and sighed. “I envy you, Jim. You’re lucky,” she told him. Jim had been up on Mount Seleya earlier that week and discovered, to his surprise, he wasn’t psy-blind. His bond with T’Nara would be two ways. Amanda, unfortunately, was, her bond with Sarek meant that Sarek felt what she felt, but she couldn’t. She reached up and straightened the hood of his cloak. “I wish that Spock…” her words trailed off.

“He will,” Jim told her. “I doubt it will be T’Pring, but he will.” Jim smiled at her nervously. Sam had made it to Vulcan and would be standing with him. Amanda had hurried him to the local tailor to have him fitted with robes for the ceremony. Sam stood nearby, hood fully up.

“The car is here,” Amanda told them.

“How do you take the heat?” Sam asked.

“The hypos help,” Amanda told him. She gave him another shot. “Better?”

Sam sighed, “Yeah, it’s better. Glad I leave tomorrow,” he said.

The three moved out to be met by Sarek at the car. He nodded approvingly as the driver opened the door. Jim handed Amanda in before entering himself. Sam and Sarek followed. Sam noticed the tic. Jim’s right leg kept jumping up and down for a few seconds then stopping, only to start back up again. Sam and Amanda shared a smile before Amanda laid a gentle hand on Jim’s knee.

Mount Seleya loomed in the distance. They were lucky, unlike pilgrims, they would be driven up the mountain to a point three hundred meters from the peak. The four of them exited the vehicle and started up the slope. Amanda’s fingers rested comfortably atop Sarek’s as Jim followed them. “How do you live here?” Sam asked Jim again.

“You really do get used to it,” Jim replied as they reached the ceremonial place. Jim took a deep breath and approached the large, bronze gong hanging on the edges of the cliff. He picked up a large bat and watched as Sarek and Amanda approached the front and turned. Jim rang the gong thrice. Not far he heard the faint tinkling of a lirpa. Sam and Jim watched as six, young, strapping Vulcan men approached carrying a divan an elderly Vulcan woman perched on top. “That’s T’Pau, High Priestess of Mount Seleya and Sarek’s mother.”

“There’s religion on Vulcan?” Sam asked.

“Kind of, they don’t worship a higher being, she’s the keeper of all things logical and a kind of afterlife. Don’t ask, I’m not allowed to talk about it. The famed Healer Hall is here too.” They watched as T’Pau was set down and she rose to the chair at the top. Jim turned and rang the gong one more time. They heard another faint tinkling in the distance. “Here we go,” Jim said as he returned the baton to its holder and turned to walk to T’Pau. T’Pau nodded to both men as T’Sara and Seruk appeared at the lip of the plateau on which they stood.

“Steady,” he heard behind him. He briefly turned and locked eyes with T’Pau before returning his attention to the plateau. T’Pring stood with Stonn, several other classmates and other notables were in attendance. Jim and T’Nara’s family might not be important people, but anything Sarek attended was something people came out for.

T’Nara arrived in a silver gown that was faintly reminiscent of Chinese gowns. It was straight and long with a crossing collar over the right shoulder. Her red hair was partially bound up, its curls cascading over the other shoulder. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she glanced up mischievously before returning to the ground and approaching Jim and T’Pau.

T’Nara arrived as her parents and Jim’s sponsors hovered. T’Pau waved at them and they sank to their knees. T’Pau reached up a hand and touched Jim’s brow and used the other hand on T’Nara’s brow. T’Nara raised her hand to Jim’s other brow.

“My mind to your mind,” T’Nara whispered.

“My thoughts to your thoughts,” Jim replied.

“Always parting yet never parted,” they said in unison.

A young woman approached with a goblet. “Your bonding is a promise to return at the appointed time to become one,” T’Pau announced picking up the goblet. She picked it up and handed it to T’Nara. T’Nara sipped from the goblet and handed it to Jim who turned the goblet to the spot she’d sipped from and took his own sip.

“Good,” T’Pau replied, “you will need the strong bond for now and the future. You both are well matched.”

And that was that. Jim rose and held out his hand, two fingers extended for T’Nara. Her fingers joined his for the first time in public as they turned to meet their guests. Then came the line as the new couple and their sponsors or parents greeted all their guests. They greeted their guests graciously and with a few words. This was quickly done for the sakes of the non-Vulcan guests and they quickly headed to a receiving hall where it was cooler and T’Nara poured water for her guests.

Jim would be lying if he said nothing had happened. He could feel T’Nara, her every breath and satisfaction about the day’s events. He even felt her love through the new bond. It was almost overwhelming. The gathering wound down as guests trickled out. Sarek and Amanda and T’Sara and Seruk approached them. “We’ve arranged for a room at a local hostelry run by humans on the outskirts of town,” T’Sara told them handing them a PADD with all the information. They turned and left, not before Amanda turned to wink at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go thank your parents they didn’t name you “Twinkle Twinkie Twilight”. Yes, a little girl was named that. If you don’t know the story, be glad you don’t live in North Central Texas.


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding night. Don’t own them.

Jim opened the door to their hotel room, and then he grinned. T’Nara let out a surprised squeak as he swept her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold. “Jim!” she exclaimed as the door shut behind them. “What are you doing?”

“It’s an old Earth custom. A groom is to carry the bride over the threshold on their wedding night. It’s not our wedding night, but, close enough,” he told her, kissing her.

“Sir?” a voice carefully inserted itself into their moment. Jim sighed as he put T’Nara down and reached for the proffered PADD. He typed in the man’s tip before pressing his thumb to it. “Congratulations,” he told them as he quietly left the room.

Jim kissed her again, “Hi.”

“Hi,” she returned with shining eyes. “Let me get out of this, it’s a little complicated.” Jim drank in her visage as she first pulled the pins out of her hair letting it fall over her shoulders. She wasn’t kidding about complicated. There were hooks and eyes, buttons, what looked like Velcro and a zipper all in different places that needed to be pulled, pushed, and zipped at strategic moments. Jim’s robes were relatively simple as he unbuttoned the robe and it fell away. He picked it up and hung it up in the closet as T’Nara finished disrobing.

Jim came forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck. The lacy black bra and panties gave an eyeful. She laid her hand on the top of his head as he proceeded to nibble. He cupped her breasts with his hands and squeezed. Her nipples quickly hardened under the combination of the rough lace and his busy fingers. “You are so beautiful,” he told her as his fingers found the closure on the front of her bra. He deftly unclasped the bra freeing the ladies. His left hand left its fondling duties and travelled south. It slipped below the panties and fingered her clit. Jim’s manhood was responding accordingly. She reached behind her with her free hand and ran it up his shaft. “Bed,” Jim mumbled.

“Good idea,” T’Nara responded as they shuffled over to the king-sized bed. Jim pushed downward with his left hand. T’Nara fell towards the bed, hands forward as Jim worked first her panties, then her shoes. He removed his own shoes as she turned around and lay down. He smiled as he climbed on the bed, grateful that someone had thoughtfully turned the covers down before they arrived. Although a sheet and a light blanket were not what most people would term as “covers”.

Jim nuzzled the cleft between her breasts. She smiled. It was truly amazing what she would do in private, but never in front of others. He left a trail of kisses upwards, pausing momentarily to suck a bruise on her neck. He travelled up her jaw, nibbling at her jaw. She ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders before he moved far enough to look her in her eyes. They kissed tenderly. “I love you,” he told her. “Thank you.”

“I love you too,” she responded. “You’re welcome, and thank you.” She threw her head back and gasped as he travelled back down her body to the soft hair between her legs. He inhaled her sweet scent as his tongue ran roughly over her clit. She moaned as he did it again. Soon, a finger inserted into her womanhood to add to the sensations overcoming her. She was nice and wet, Jim was pleased to note as his other hand plucked at her jewel as well as his tongue. Her hands ran through his hair before returning to play with her breasts. Jim felt her lock up around him as she came, her honey pouring out and onto his tongue.

T’Nara sat up as Jim sat back. She motioned him to take her place. He lay back on his elbows and watched as she took his shaft in her hand. Her mouth closed over the head of his penis causing him to moan. More music to her ears as she ran her mouth down his shaft. Her mouth bobbed up and down as she massaged his balls. He groaned as she took her mouth away long enough to suck at his balls. She pushed a finger into his butt to send him gasping. “T’Nara, I’m about to cum,” he told her.

T’Nara relented, rising to her knees she inched forward and kissed him again. He lay back as she leaned back, impaling herself on his cock. “Oooooohhhhhh!” exited her mouth as he completely entered her. She raised her hips up and met his as they came together. She shifted around to find a good position. He heard the change in her breathing as she found the best position, her breath coming increasingly faster. Her muscles clenched around him. Finally, into the mostly quiet night, she shouted, “Jiiiiiim!”

Jim joined her. He also shouted, her name, “T’Naaaraaaa!” She collapsed against him, gasping. Moments later she slid off him and cuddled into his side. They idly traded kisses as he pulled up the light blanket and sheet to shield them from the chilly desert night. up and met his as they came together. She shifted around to er breasts. Jim felt her lock up around him as she came, her honeth her free hand and ran it up his shaft. "left hand left its fondling duties and travelled south. It slipped below the panties and fingered her clit. Jim'.r nippled “This was even more intense that when you went into Pon Farr,” Jim murmured.

“Agreed,” T’Nara told him dropping off to sleep. Jim joined her moments later.

_USS Enterprise_

Jim stood in the Observation Lounge. He knew he should get checked out. He was dizzy, and his left knee throbbed. He just wanted some time to himself. “What is it like?” he heard behind him. He turned to find Spock standing behind him. “Making love to someone who is bonded to you.”

“It is the most incredible experience in the universe,” Jim told him. “Especially when they love you too. You’re wondering about T’Pring and Stonn.”

“Yes,” Spock told him. “Would she take it amiss if I asked to break our bond? Honestly? You’re the one man I can ask without raising someone’s hackles, so to speak.”

“All your mother wanted was for you to be satisfied, Spock. T’Pring would readily agree to a bond-breaking, Spock. I’d do it soon, though. You’re headed for Pon Farr yourself.” Spock’s eyebrow rose. “Unlike Amanda, I am not psi-blind. You’re emotions are leaking, violently.”

Spock nodded. “T’Pring is as well?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t be surprised. You can always substitute partners, if needed. You and Uhura, T’Pring and Stonn. T’Pring isn’t the spoiled princess you fled years ago,” Jim told him. Spock nodded and left. He didn’t see Jim collapse to the floor behind him.


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim gives T’Nara scare. This also gives you a clue as to what happened to Jim at the end of the last chapter. Don’t own them.

T’Nara awoke the next morning feeling very, very happy. She snuggled up to Jim’s side and looked at his sleeping profile. She wished he would wake up. She sat up and stretched enticingly. She then frowned as Jim didn’t even stir. She pushed at him. He didn’t move. “Jim? Jim!” she shouted. She climbed out of bed and headed for the closet where she pulled on a robe. She opened the door to find an employee walking by. “My mate won’t wake up!” she told him. “Help me please!”

The man quickly walked into the suite and checked Jim. “He’s alive,” the man told her. He picked up the room comm and made a call. “Yeah, we have a human male, unconscious, not responding,” he told them the room number. “Alright, we’ll be here.” He turned to T’Nara, “The house doctor will be here shortly. If he’d been Vulcan we would have called the Halls of Healing.” T’Nara sat in a chair while they waited. A knock sounded at the door and the man walked over to the door. “Thank you for coming quickly,” he told the person on the other side of the door.

A tall, blonde woman walked into the room and took in the patient and his mate. She walked over and pulled out a tricorder, using it to scan Jim. She nodded, as if confirming something, and pulled out something that looked like orange chalk. “How long has it been since he’s eaten?” she asked.

“I…I don’t know. We were bonded yesterday, and I wasn’t with him most of the day,” T’Nara told her. Whatever it was the doctor gave Jim, it worked as Jim started to come around. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” the doctor asked him. The other man slipped out of the room.

“Uhm, what time is it? Yesterday? I think?” he said. “What happened?”

“You’ve suffered from a bout of hypoglycemia. Your blood sugar was too low and your body responded accordingly. You’re not diabetic, but you need to be more careful,” she told him. Jim frowned. “You’ll be alright.” She picked up the comm and ordered food. “Plenty of protein and fruit in that order, Sir. Not all of that protein is meat,” she told T’Nara who thanked her.

Jim managed to pull herself into a sitting position. “I’m sorry,” Jim told her. “Ever since an event in my childhood, I’ve not been able to tell when I’m hungry.”

T’Nara looked at him, not hearing the door close, “It’s alright, Jim. We’ll have breakfast,” she said. Jim smiled and held out his arms which she gladly snuggled into his arms. She felt safe and secure in his arms. They stayed that way until another knock sounded at the door. T’Nara rose and answered the door. Another human entered pushing a cart. He pulled various dishes off the cart and a jar of jam, butter in a cooler, and two pitchers, one of orange juice and the other of water. He then rolled the table over to the bed where Jim sat up. T’Nara stood as the man pulled a chair over for her. He left and she looked at Jim. “Is that what humans mean by ‘gentleman’?” she asked.

“That and good manners,” Jim replied lifting the first cover to reveal ham and eggs. T’Nara lifted her to find a local protein and strawberries. “We have three days here?” Jim asked.

T’Nara nodded. “I know this will sound naughty, but I’d like our real honeymoon to be on Earth. A place called Hawaii.”

“It’s beautiful,” Jim told her. “But you’ll be surrounded by water. Next time we visit Earth, I need to teach you how to swim.”

“Will it require clothes?” she asked with a glint in her eye.

“Not necessarily,” Jim told her with a smile. He picked up a strawberry and popped it in her mouth. “Vulcans have come to appreciate certain human foods.”

“I LOVE pineapple,” she told him. He cupped the side of her face with his left hand. “Have I told you I love you today?”

“No,” T’Nara responded. “I love you too.”

_USS Enterprise_

Geoff couldn’t tell why he walked by the Observation Lounge at that particular moment, but he did. He happened to glance in to find Jim on the floor. He hurried over the fallen man. He pulled out his comm and his tricorder. He took readings as he spoke to Sickbay. “M’benga to McCoy,” he called.

“McCoy here, Geoff, what’s up?” came Bones’ voice.

“Jim is here in the Observation Lounge. He’s collapsed. Looks like a sprained knee and hypoglycemia,” Geoff told him putting a glucose tablet under Jim’s tongue.

“I’m sending up a team,” Bones told him. Geoff nodded as Jim started to come around.

“What happened?” Jim asked.

“When did you last eat?” Geoff asked.

“I, uh, don’t know,” Jim told him. “I do this occasionally, when I’m under stress, good or bad. Scared T’Nara out of her wits on our bonding night,” Jim told him with a laugh. “My knee hurts,” Jim told him.

“You sprained it,” Geoff told him. “You also have a bump on the head.” Geoff glanced up to find an ambulatory team came in. They helped him up and onto the gurney.

“Oh, that hurts,” Jim gasped out. “Are you sure it’s only a sprain?”

“We’ll double check down in Sickbay. It’s good to see you again, Jim. Not that I didn’t tell you that earlier. This whole thing is terrible. I spent four years on Vulcan, and now it’s gone,” Geoff sighed. “Never to climb Mt. Seleya again.”

“I know. To not have the final bonding ceremony on Mt. Seleya,” Jim said; both men smiled knowingly at each other.

“I am seeing someone,” Geoff told him. “Dr. Sarah Lodony,” he told Jim.

“That’s wonderful, Geoff,” Jim told him. “It’s wonderful when you find someone.” Jim told him as T’Nara came up. He smiled up at her. The look she returned made anyone seeing them envious. No one knew what the future might hold, but it held a promise no one could imagine.


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graduation, and several people show up at Sarek’s invitation. Don’t own them.

Jim stood at the front of the line. Vulcans, like humans, performed these ceremonies in alphabetical order. Since everyone’s name either started with a “T” or an “S”, Jim would go first. Jim almost snorted, this would be a good time for a last name that started with an “A”. T’Nara had decided to take Jim’s last name, so she was right behind him. The two shared a knowing look as T’Mon, the Vulcan equivalent of the Dean of the Academy, announced their intentions here today.

The class consisted of sixty-two students, all but one being Vulcan. Jim lead them out into the amphitheater which was filled with family and friends of those graduating. Jim glanced over to see Sarek and Amanda sitting nearby. His eyes widened as he noticed T, Sam, Aurelan, their twin daughters Penelope and Cassandra, Gary, Chris, Geoff, and his mother, Winona. He was shocked to see his mother. She hadn’t been a presence in his life before his move to Vulcan.

Jim and the rest stood in front of their seats as T’Mon surveyed the gathered assembly. “Please, be seated. Welcome, everyone. Today, we greet these young people as they start their paths into the future. Many who walk the doors of the Academy are not students, and like on Earth, many who are do not graduate. Those who do look toward a future filled with opportunities. This year, among our graduates, has our first non-Vulcan student. Under the guidance of his sponsor, Sarek, he has navigated both a new culture and a curriculum that proved to be challenging.

“If you will step forward when your name is called you will be awarded with you Degrees which you have earned. James Tiberius Kirk,” he called.

Jim stood, keeping his face straight, he approached T’Mon. “James, with exemplary performance in Astrophysics, Engineering, and Diplomacy, the Vulcan Academy of Science awards you the Earth Equivalent of a Masters in all three,” T’Mon told him. “Congratulations.”

Jim nodded solemnly as he accepted the degrees and turned back to his seat. He smiled briefly at his family and friends who, by and large, cheered. Jim returned to his seat and squeezed T’Nara’s hand briefly. She looked at him as her name was called. “T’Nara is also graduating with Diplomacy, Chemistry, and a recommendation to the Healer’s Hall.” Jim smiled. He knew she’d been working for that recommendation for the last year. He tugged his hood into place on his head, the sun was beating hard on his head today. He watched with happiness as Stonn and T’Pring also joined the graduates that day. Sarek and Amanda would be hosting a get together for the new graduates.

Afterwards it was like many graduation ceremonies on any given planet. Family and friends gathered around the new graduates as they moved out from the location. Unlike Earth ceremonies, Vulcans wore no special clothes to mark their transition out of Academic life. It was a new maturity that they exuded as they came of age. T’Nara joined Jim. They had both been residing at Sarek’s home since their bonding and T’Pring and Stonn would be joining them there later.

“Jimmy!” a voice announced. Jim turned to have Gary racing across the amphitheater and throwing his arms around him. “Congratulations!” he exclaimed, breathing hard.

“Gary, you should know better than to try running here!” Jim told him. “When did you last have a triox treatment?” Jim asked.

“Mother Hen,” Gary muttered as Amanda caught up with him and pinning the hypo to his neck. “You don’t need them anymore!”

“I’ve lived here for four years!” Jim exclaimed, laughing as Sam and the rest joined him.

“Unca Jim?” Penelope asked, looking up at him. Jim knelt down and picked her and Cassandra up. “Where’s Tesla?”

“She’s back at home,” Jim told her. “You do remember she’s not to be used as a pony, right?” he asked mock seriously.

“Aw, Unca Jim!” Cassie exclaimed. Jim chuckled as everyone joined in.

“Hey, Grandpa T,” Jim said as the man laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Jim, I am so proud of the men you and your brother have become. I know your father would be too,” Tiberius told him.

“Uhm, who’s Tesla and why are you concerned with the girls using her as a pony?” Chris asked.

Jim laughed. “Ever met a Sehlat?” Jim asked. Chris shook his head. “Don’t worry, despite the fangs, she doesn’t bite.” Chris eyed them dubiously as Jim turned to face the last person he expected to see. “Winona,” he finally bit out.

Mother and son stared at each other. Five feet separated them, it might as well have been five light years. Winona sighed, “Jim.” She looked away from him. “Congratulations,” she finally said.

Amanda watched the tense moment before finally breaking in. “Why don’t we get back to the house. It will at least be cooler for our guests,” came her sensible reply. Jim climbed into a car with Aurelan, the twins, Sarek and Amanda. “What is it, Jim?” Amanda finally asked.

“Last time I saw Winona she was informing me that I wasn’t in her Will. My stepfather, with whom I shared a mutual hatred, was leaving me a piano I loved. Why is she here?” he bit out.

Aurelan spoke up, looking at her daughters. “I don’t know. She started talking about reaching out to you after Penny and Cassie were born,” she said. “Give it a chance, Jim. What’s the worst that can happen? You don’t even call her ‘Mom’.” Jim turned and stared out the window. They were the last to reach the house and discovered that Chris’ apprehensions regarding Tesla were well-founded. She’d sniffed him when he came in and sat down. She subsequently took up his personal space, his lap.

Jim chuckled as he caught sight of Chris’ predicament. “She likes you, Chris,” he told him.

“I suppose I should be comforted,” Chris told him, “but my legs are falling asleep!”

“Come on, Tesla,” Jim told her, patting her flank. She growled at him. Jim laughed, “I’ll put you out in the garden. The girls won’t follow you there.” She grumbled at him but climbed down and followed him outside, Jim closed the door and returned to sit next to Chris. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. Hey, don’t be so hard on Winona. It took a lot of guts to come here,” Chris told him. “Listen, you ought to know. Finney’s been accepted to the Academy.”

Jim sighed. “I wish him the best,” he finally breathed. “He could be a good officer.”

“I know,” Chris told him. “He has a daughter, named Janie.”

“Our lives are so very different,” Jim said.

“What are your plans now?” Chris asked as Sam and Aurelan sat down. Gary wandered over. “I’m going to continue to be Sarek’s assistant. Maybe, one day, I’ll move into the Federation Diplomatic Corps. I still have a LOT to learn.”

“Hey, Jim, graduating from the Academy next year. Will you and T’Nara be able to make it?” Gary asked.

“I am certain it can be arranged,” Sarek told them.

“You’ll be able to meet the newest member of the family,” Aurelan announced. Everyone looked at her, confused, even Sam. “I’m pregnant! The Vulcan Healer’s say it’s a boy!” Cheers and laughter broke out as the humans congratulated Sam and Aurelan. Sarek and the other Vulcans added their own notes. Penny and Cassie ran in to find out what all the fuss was about.

Jim picked them up again. “You’re going to have a baby brother!” Jim told them.

“I don’t want a baby brother! I want a Sehlat!” Cassie announced to the laughter of most.


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be uncomfortable. But, what do you say to a mother, a woman, who has hated you or ignored you or both most of your life. When she finally deigns to see you it’s to tell you you’re getting nothing from her. That you’re getting more from the stepfather you hate than the mother you’re supposed to love. Don’t own them.

Jim wandered out into the backyard where he found Tesla chasing some brightly colored insects that reminded him of dragonflies. He tugged his hood over his head and sank onto the bench Amanda had artfully placed there when Spock had been young. He just needed to be alone for a little while, that was it. T or Sam or maybe even Gary would come looking for him. T’Nara would know when he needed her.

Jim looked across the austere landscape. Most non-Vulcans saw an empty land devoid of anything remotely called living. In the four years since he had come he had found beauty. He’d even taken back to drawing the various things that could be found in and around the city. Admittedly, Tesla and T’Nara were his favorite subjects. His favorite was of T’Nara the morning after their first time together. She’d been asleep, her red hair tousled around her. Her arms folded behind the pillow under her head. The sheet covering her had been pushed down to her waist leaving her pert breasts bare. The upswept eyebrows so many found so alien, were slightly creased in the middle, as if she had been concentrating on something, even in her sleep.

Jim’s second favorite had been when Sarek had not been aware that Jim had been observing him. Sarek was looking at a picture of Amanda and Spock at the age of around 10. Spock’s head already reached Amanda’s shoulders in the picture. Amanda’s hands were on Spock’s shoulders who happened to be standing in front of her. She was smiling, Spock was not. There was a softness around Sarek’s eyes and mouth as he considered his family that Jim had to capture. He pulled out a pencil and made a quick sketch of the Vulcan from the kitchen table where he was supposed to be studying.

His third favorite picture was of Tesla. It was her first trip to Earth and she had discovered butterflies. A particularly bright yellow one had been resting on a bush when she wandered over to investigate it. It took off, circled in a half-hearted, drunken sort of way, and landed on her nose. Jim quickly sketched the moment as Tesla nearly went cross-eyed looking at the tiny insect as Dan stood nearby, his head cocked in that peculiar way that only dogs can manage. Most of these drawing he kept to himself. Every single one he made a copy of and sent off to Earth for his grandfather to keep. T never opened the envelopes, he just kept them in the attic.

Today, Tesla wandered over and leaned against Jim’s knee. Jim reached down and stroked her ears. “Been a good day, huh girl?” he asked softly. He didn’t really expect an answer.

“Yes, Jim, it’s been a good day,” someone responded behind him.

Jim carefully turned around to see Winona standing behind him. “Hello, Winona, glad to see you could come,” he managed.

Winona walked over and sat next to Jim. Tesla turned her back on the woman and slid to the ground with a huff. “That’s a good sign, right? That she doesn’t hate me?” Winona asked. “I heard they’re good judges of character.”

“If she’d hated you she would have either bitten you or left the area. She’s merely tolerating you right now,” Jim told her.

Winona nodded before taking a deep breath. “Jim, I…apologize for my behavior. I have not been the best mother.”

“That’s an understatement,” Jim muttered.

“Jim, please, let me finish what I have to say. I haven’t been the best mother, and for years I blamed you for your father’s death. I know that was hardly fare considering you were minutes old when he died, but I was beyond being rational. When T volunteered to look after you, I jumped at the chance to go back into space,” Winona told him.

“Then you met Frank,” Jim muttered.

“The man I met, and man you knew, were two, completely different people, Jim,” Winona told him. When you left at 12…”

“The reason I left at 12 was because I was on Tarsus IV Winona!” Jim said quietly, but intensely. “He sent me there to live with Aunt Olive. I barely survived, and I have the scars to prove it. I couldn’t return to the farm, Frank would have beaten me for living,” Jim whispered.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I was a self-center bitch who couldn’t see beyond my own pain. Frank died last year. The piano he promised you is at T’s. Do you want it here?” she asked.

Jim took a deep, steadying breath. It was a peace offering. After all these years… “No, leave it there. T’Nara and I aren’t settled yet, and I want a place of our own before we have anything as permanent as furniture.”

They let the silence stretch out between them as the sun started to set. The painted desert sky stretched out to the horizon. “It’s really beautiful here,” Winona mused. “How do you stand the heat?”

“Like most deserts, the temperature drops after the sun goes down,” Jim told her. “I got used to the heat, just ask Geoff. The thin atmosphere was harder to get used to.” Tesla got up and scratched at the door to be let back in. Someone opened the door and Tesla went through only to hear the squeals of two little girls as they saw the Sehlat.

“She’s good with kids,” Winona murmured.

“She doesn’t like squirrels,” Jim said with a laugh. “First time she encountered one she ran into a tree trying to chase it.”

“She’s been to Earth?” Winona asked.

“T’Nara, Tesla and I would spend a few weeks on Earth just before the Federation Council opened its yearly sessions in the summer. She and Dan get along famously.” Jim took a deep breath. “Look, Winona, I’m not going to say I forgive you, but you’ve gone a long way to making a fresh start here. I don’t know what’s going to happen any more than you do, but, let’s keep in touch, see what happens.”

Winona looked at Jim, looked at her son, and smiled, “Let’s give it a try. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I don’t know,” Jim replied. “I guess we’ll find out.”


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’re in the home stretch with this story. Only a couple of chapter left. There will be a sequel to it, Bones and a pair of twins need to join this little family in the midst of the chaos that will be Khan. Some of you will be unhappy with me in regards to whom will the Enterprise’s Captain, but there is a method to my madness. He’s ultimately, going to fall flat on his face. Don’t own them.

The next four years went by fast. Jim and T’Nara found a rental property near Sarek and Amanda, and not too far from her parents, and moved. Tesla went with them. Jim divided his time between Sarek and the building of a large, emergency evacuation vehicle being built near Mount Seleya. T’Pau simply believed in being prepared. It would eventually be big enough to hold hundreds. Jim shook his head, but he was being paid good money as a consultant.

Every year Jim still went to Earth to visit his family before the Federation Council opened its meetings in the summer. Two months Jim and T’Nara stopped having sex, and she started the hormone shots that would help her ovulate. The shots went in her thigh, and she was calm about them. Jim was the one climbing the walls in anticipation. The extraction went well, as did the implantation as they would find out on the Enterprise weeks later.

The morning of the attack Tesla had to be persuaded to stay at home. She stuck with Jim, and refused to go back into the house when they left for Mount Seleya. Jim, frustrated, shouted at her, “Alright, stay out here! I’ll see you tonight, lady.” She moaned at him, a noise he’d never heard before. He reached down and scratched her favorite spot right between her ears. “I love you, too,” he told her before leaving.

They all felt the impact of the drill. Jim looked up and ran outside. An uneasy feeling churned in his stomach as he looked at it. Then he heard someone describe what was going on as a “Lightening storm in space.” He ran.

Jim reached T’Pau and convinced her and her followers to flee. Run for the craft that had been completed so recently. He called T’Nara and told her to get everyone out of the Academy and aboard the craft that didn’t even have a name. They managed to crowd everyone on board just in time as Jim took the conn to get them into space, he saw a red object hurtling toward the surface of the planet.

The ship hadn’t even been on a trial run, its engines were untested. Frantically, adrenaline surging through his system, Jim and Stonn lifted the craft off the planet and out of the atmosphere. They breathed a sigh of relief before more warning sirens started going off. “We need to get as far away from here as possible,” Jim announced. “Vulcan’s tearing itself apart.” Stonn only nodded as he programmed the system to put distance between them and the dying planet. They had barely gotten away as the planet seemed to just disappear.

Jim sighed. There were too many people on the ship for them to get to a habitable system safely, but he wasn’t dumping **anyone** out an airlock. If they could get fifty or so on another ship; they could make it. Stonn turned to Jim, “I am in contact with a Federation starship, a USS Enterprise who is on its way out of the system. They will take sixty-five passengers.”

Jim let out the breath he was unaware he’d been holding. “Good, I’ll join them on the Enterprise. I want to brief them on what I know,” Jim told him before heading out into the corridor. The door shut behind him before he broke down and wept. “Tesla,” he whispered, knowing he would never see his beloved friend again.

* * *

“Tesla!” Jim cried with relief and joy upon seeing her playing with the other Sehlats and Dan in T’s backyard. He opened the gate and went in, sinking to his knees in front of the animal who nearly careened into her favorite person. She gave him a big, slurping kiss before laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, girl,” he told her. “I should never have yelled at you before I left.” She hummed a happy response as T’Nara sat down next to Jim. Similar scenes were being played out over the yard as T’Pring and two others found their best friends.

“Jim, how’s the knee?” he heard Bones ask.

To tell the truth, Jim had completely forgotten about the knee upon seeing his best friend. It reminded of its present state shortly by protesting, loudly in pain. He sat back as Tesla looked up at the newcomer. She walked over and inspected him. She walked around him, and sniffed him. She then raised up on her hind paws, put them on his chest, and used her weight to push him into the grass behind him with a thud. She then proceeded to lick him. Jim chuckled as Bones protested, “What is this thing and what is it doing?”

“That’s Tesla, my Sehlat,” Jim pointed out. “I think she’s giving you her seal of approval.” The humans present laughed. Jim watched with satisfaction as a red ball sped past the group and Tesla went chasing it. Bones watched stunned as she returned the ball to Sam. “It’s called ‘fetch’, Bones,” Jim told him with a laugh. Bones laughed nervously as the game continued.

A new voice joined them as Jim turned to see Uhura standing at the gate. She looked serious. “Hey, Uhura, what’s up?” Bones asked.

“Seamus Finnegan has been given command of the Enterprise,” she said quietly.

“Finney?” Jim asked. “They’re giving command of their finest starship to an unstable psychopath? What about Spock or Mitchell?”

“Spock doesn’t want it,” Uhura told him. “Mitchell was perplexed too, but has agreed to sign on as First Officer. The promotion was ‘Due to uncommon valor in rescuing Starfleet Personnel with the USS Hood over Vulcan’,” Uhura finished.

“Well, I’m still aide to Ambassador Sarek,” he said. “I guess I’ll go back to doing that until I can join the Diplomatic Corps myself.” T’Nara leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’ll keep me here until the babies are born.”

“Jim, they want you on the Enterprise, in your diplomatic capacity,” Uhura told him.

The silence stretched out as everyone considered her words. Finally, Tiberius said what they were all thinking. “Well, don’t that beat all?”


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story has come to an end. I know Seamus as the new Captain isn’t popular. It won’t be with his future crewmates either. Just remember, there is a method to my madness, next story will show certain flaws, and babies, that sort of thing. Don’t own them.

Jim stood on a balcony at Federation Headquarters overlooking the campus green. He stood alone, in silent contemplation, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. After so many years living on Vulcan he’d never thought he’d return to Earth. It was no longer home, Vulcan was home. Now, it wasn’t.

Pike had briefed him. He wanted Jim aboard the Enterprise. He wanted Jim’s steady influence on the job. His ability to handle “delicate situations” would also help. Jim told him flat he couldn’t do it. Then Sarek asked him to join the crew to keep an eye on Spock.

Jim knew it was risky. Finney was brilliant, but unstable. His wife dying in childbirth leaving him with a newborn daughter did not help the situation any. Janie was tiny, perfect, and living with her grandmother. This mission meant he would be away from her for months at a time. He shook his head. Could he abandon T’Nara at this stage of her pregnancy? He felt her coming up behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and lay her face against her back. He turned and wound his arms around her as he saw McCoy join them.

“I’m torn,” he told them. “I want to stay here or go to wherever it is the Vulcans will go.” He sighed. “I don’t want to leave you,” he told her, his cheek pressed to hers.

“I know, but Sarek has agreed to let me stay with him when we go to New Vulcan. Which seems kind of silly. There aren’t any homes there yet,” she replied. “I’ll stay here, with Tiberius. You know he won’t let anything happen to me, the twins, or Tesla.”

Bones watched. His new family, and he hadn’t quite joined yet. T’Pau had told him that would happen after T’Nara went through Pon Farr. Jim told him that would happen after the babies were born. Bones stepped forward. “Are you joining us, Jim?” he asked.

Jim stared down at the ground and looked back up at T’Nara. She nodded her head. That was all he needed to know.

* * *

The crew watched as Finney practically skipped to the command seat. He ran his hands proprietarily over it before sitting with some relish in it. He glanced around at Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura before looking down at the arm of the chair. Which button was it? He asked himself before pressing the red button, then the blue one, he finally got it with the green one. “Commander Scott, how are the engines?” he asked.

“They’re good, Cap’n. We’re ready to go,” Scotty announced. The turbolift opened to disgorge its passengers. Kirk, Spock, and Bones came onto the bridge to most people’s delight.

“Gentlemen, glad you could join us. Is Commander Mitchell on board?” he asked.

“Yes, Captain, he has third shift and is taking the opportunity to unpack and get some sleep,” Spock responded. “As you have yet to select a Science Officer, I respectfully step forward for the position.”

Finney smiled, a cocky, knowing smile that set Jim’s teeth on edge. He took a deep breath. In six months, a year at most, he’d be returning to Earth to stay, and await the birth of the twins. “Well, good, it’s time to go, Mr. Sulu.”

“Aye, sir,” Sulu responded.

Jim watched as the Enterprise left orbit and headed out of the system. He soon turned for the lift only to be stopped. “I haven’t given you permission to leave,” Finney told him.

“As a civilian, I do not require your permission to leave,” Jim told him, “anywhere.”

“I could have you fired,” Finney hissed at him.

“No, you can’t,” Jim told him. “Only Starfleet can do that, and if he did, I have plenty of other employers lined up to take their place. I have work to do,” Jim told him. Jim knew Finney was seething as he watched Jim’s back, but he didn’t care. He was no man’s crony. He was going to spend the next year doing everything he could so he would be on Earth when his son and daughter arrived, and nothing was going to stop that mission. Not even one Seamus Finnegan.


End file.
